The haves and have nots of the AI gold rush

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- Deedy Das posted a lengthy social‑media note that the AI boom has generated $20M+ retirement wealth for roughly 10,000 founders and employees at firms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Nvidia, while the rest of the workforce is stuck with sub‑$500k salaries.
- AI industry is experiencing widespread layoffs, leaving many software engineers uncertain about the relevance of their skill sets and contributing to a “deep malaise about work.”
- Deva Hazarika counter‑argued that the people highlighted in Das’s post are “incredibly fortunate” and can simply choose to be happy.
- One commenter called the situation “pretty damn novel & also kinda nasty,” noting that the same AI technology serves as both a lottery ticket and a fallback for workers.
Why it matters: The AI elite—about 10,000 staff at OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia—gain $20M+ wealth, while the majority of software engineers risk stagnant pay and layoffs, fueling a talent drain and morale crisis in the tech sector.


