Apple Faces Talent Exodus to OpenAI

For several years, Apple has been facing a talent drain to companies offering more attractive conditions. Among the notable departures is Jony Ive, the design icon at Apple, who left the company in 2019 to found his own firm, LoveFrom, and collaborate with OpenAI on a secret project. He was followed by Tang Tan, former head of design for the iPhone and Apple Watch, and more recently by Alan Dye, who joined Meta in December 2025. Abidur Chowdhury, a young prodigy responsible for the iPhone Air, also left Apple for a startup specializing in AI.

Artificial intelligence acts as a powerful talent magnet, depleting Apple's ranks. To counter this trend, the company had previously responded in 2021 and 2022 by distributing impressive bonuses. Today, Apple announces a new retention initiative for its engineers on the iPhone Product Design team. To encourage them to stay, it is offering bonuses ranging from $200,000 to $400,000 in restricted stock units. These stocks can only be unlocked after four years, provided the employees remain at Apple.

However, the competition is fierce. OpenAI and other AI startups are not hesitating to offer much higher compensation, reaching up to a million dollars in annual stock options. These enticing offers target engineers who have contributed to flagship products like the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro. These talents, steeped in Apple's detail-oriented culture, possess highly sought-after industrial expertise.

Apple hopes that its employees' attachment to the corporate culture will compensate for the financial shortfall. By staggering the payouts over four years, Cupertino aims to ensure that its teams remain engaged in developing future generations of iPhones. Yet, it seems that even generous bonuses are not enough to retain brilliant minds, especially when much more lucrative offers are on the table.

The problem for Apple is that the competition offers significantly higher compensation. OpenAI and other startups are not hesitating to propose annual stock options that can reach a million dollars to entice engineers to leave Apple. These offers particularly target teams that have worked on iconic products like the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro. Many members of these teams have already been swayed by these proposals.

Apple engineers, accustomed to a culture of excellence and attention to detail, possess industrial know-how that companies like OpenAI are actively seeking. Apple, which has spent decades building this expertise, is not ready to let it go without a fight. By spreading the bonuses over four years, Apple hopes its teams will remain focused on the next generations of iPhones, while relying on their attachment to the corporate culture to make a difference. However, it appears that even substantial bonuses are not enough to retain these talents, especially in the face of much more attractive offers.