Current and former OpenAI employees have become increasingly dissatisfied with the company's failure to allow them to donate their equity to charity over the years. Recently, OpenAI finally responded to this pressure by sending an email from the company's equity team to relevant employees, stating that eligible employees will be able to participate in equity donations.

This decision involves the potential donation of large sums of money. In 2019, many employees received six-figure equity allocations, and they may now have the opportunity to donate millions of dollars to charitable organizations. According to sources, OpenAI's commitment in this area has been delayed for about 18 months, which has drawn widespread attention. Because equity donations are an important way for OpenAI to attract new employees, especially in the competitive artificial intelligence talent market.

Additionally, OpenAI's competitor Anthropic offers a more flexible equity donation matching program, allowing employees to donate up to 25% of their equity rewards at a 1:1 ratio. In contrast, OpenAI's equity donation program has a shorter deadline, requiring participants to quickly decide on the amount and specific details of the donation. This deadline is significantly shorter than the minimum time required for other types of liquidation decisions regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, such as the 20 business days typically allowed in takeover offers.

It is understood that this short notice period has made it difficult for some employees to participate, especially because OpenAI's email strongly advises participants to consult with tax or financial advisors before making a decision. Additionally, many employees have fewer transferable equity units due to insufficient notice and the indefinite retention of past plans.

Key Points:

🌟 OpenAI allows employees to donate equity to charitable organizations, alleviating employee dissatisfaction.  

💰 This decision may give employees the opportunity to use millions of dollars for charitable purposes.  

⏳ The short time limit for donation decisions has made it difficult for some employees to participate.