OpenAI UK filings show £2.3m average staff cost per person

What happened?

1. Total staff costs at OpenAI's UK subsidiary reached £258m in 2025, up from £60.7m in 2024, according to newly filed accounts cited by Business Matters
2. Wages and salaries made up £87.3m of the total, with share-based compensation accounting for £168m of the staff cost bill
3. The subsidiary employed an average of 110 people per month in 2025, implying average cash pay near £794,000 and about £2.3m per head including share awards and benefits
4. Turnover at the unit rose to £293m from £79.2m, which the company attributed to expanded sales, marketing and research and development activity
5. Research and development costs were put at £117.8m, up from £48.2m in 2024, and administrative expenses rose to £264.1m from £64.6m
6. The accounts record £4.7m of income from UK taxpayers via a research and development tax credit

Filed accounts for OpenAI's London subsidiary show total staff costs of £258m for 2025, up from £60.7m in 2024, across an average of 110 employees per month. The filings break the figure into £87.3m of wages and salaries and £168m of share-based compensation, implying cash pay near £794,000 and roughly £2.3m per head including equity awards and benefits. The accounts also show £4.7m of earnings from UK taxpayers received via a research and development tax credit.

A machine summary written from the reports listed below; read them for the full account. How summaries are made and what is checked.