Tax filings by the Elon Musk-founded research lab OpenAI revealed that its best researchers are paid top dollar for their expertise. In 2016 alone, OpenAI paid Ilya Sutskever, its top researcher, an impressive salary of $1.9 million.
In a statement to the New York Times, Sutskever noted that other AI companies actually offered him more substantial salaries. The top researcher noted, however, that OpenAI has a certain appeal, in the way that it shares its work openly with the outside world in an effort to push for a safe AI revolution.
“I turned down offers for multiple times the dollar amount I accepted at OpenAI. Others did the same. (I expect) salaries at OpenAI to increase as the organization pursues its mission of ensuring powerful A.I. benefits all of humanity,” Ilya said.
OpenAI published its launch blog post in December 2015, with the nonprofit being co-founded by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Y Combinator President Sam Altman. In its first year of operations, the nonprofit spent about $11 million, with $7 million going into the salaries and employee benefits of its researchers and staff. The company employed 52 people then.

World’s best DOTA players get beat by OpenAI bot [Source: OpenAI]
Sutskever’s $1.9 million compensation might be eye-catching, but pay for OpenAI’s other lead researchers in 2016 was nothing to scoff at either. Ian Goodfellow, whom OpenAI hired in March 2016, was paid more than $800,000 for his work during the year. Famed roboticist and University of California, Berkeley professor Pieter Abbeel was hired in June 2016 and was paid $425,000. These amounts, including Sutskever’s nearly $2 million pay, included signing bonuses.
Remarkably, OpenAI’s top researchers might actually be underselling their income potential. Being a nonprofit, the Elon Musk-founded company cannot offer stock options to its employees — something that bigger AI companies include in their compensation plan.
Over the past couple of years, salaries for top AI researchers have seen a meteoric rise due to the industry’s ever-growing demand. Chris Nicholson, CEO and founder of Skymind, an AI company, stated that there are simply far too few individuals with skills in artificial intelligence available. While he sees the number of AI researchers growing, he does not think demand will be met anytime soon.
“There is a mountain of demand and a trickle of supply. If anything, demand for that talent is growing faster than the supply of new researchers, because AI is moving from early adopters to wider use,” he said.
Some of OpenAI’s best-paid talent in 2016 have since moved on to different ventures. Goodfellow ultimately went back to Google, while Abbeel left the nonprofit with two other researchers to form their own robotics startup called Embodied Intelligence. Another OpenAI alumnus, Andrej Karpathy, left the company to head the AI division of Tesla.
Earlier this year, OpenAI announced that Elon Musk would be stepping down from its board of directors to avoid any conflict of interest with his work at Tesla. Back in January, however, a rare announcement from OpenAI’s official Twitter account suggested that the nonprofit is looking to hire more employees.
Lifestyle
Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update
Tesla adds on to the “fun” aspect of its vehicles.

Tesla has brought perhaps the coolest interior feature to its cars in a new update that is rolling out to vehicles now.
The feature will require a newer vehicle that has interior ambient lighting, which is present on the new Model S, Model X, Model 3 “Highland,” and Model Y “Juniper.” The Cybertruck also has ambient lighting strips throughout.
Tesla Model Y’s ambient lighting design changes revealed in leaked video
With the Version 2025.26+ Software Update, Tesla is rolling out a new “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music” feature, which is available on the Tesla Toybox:
Turn your Tesla into a rave cave with the new Light Sync feature 🎶
Rolling out now in software update 2025.26+ pic.twitter.com/IIsQxZ9jDP
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 29, 2025
To enable the feature, you’ll access the Toybox, choose “Light Sync,” and then choose “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music.”
Although it does not improve the performance of the vehicle, it is yet another example of Tesla making one of the coolest cars out there. This is truly a cool add-on that can be used to impress your friends and family.
Elon Musk
xAI, Musk Foundation helps schools near Memphis supercomputer site
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and the Musk Foundation have been supporting Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC repairs and facility upgrades, while also funding youth programs for students in the area.
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.
xAI’s school visits lead to facility repairs
Representatives from xAI visited John P. Freeman Optional School, Fairley High School, and Westwood High School, all of which are located near its Colossus supercomputer site, to assess HVAC systems, plumbing, gym facilities, and athletic fields. The visits resulted in a list of priority repairs, some of which were completed in April and May.
In addition to the repairs, xAI also shared a number of initiatives that are planned for students in the area, as stated in a Commercial Appeal report.
“xAI is working on providing STEM workshops for local students, donating equipment to technical training programs, and supporting job fairs to boost employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect xAl’s commitment to fostering education and economic growth in Memphis,” xAI noted in a statement.
Musk Foundation donation
Apart from xAI, the Musk Foundation also donated $350,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, enabling the reopening of two club sites located at Booker T. Washington High School and Westwood High School. Both locations had closed earlier this year due to lapses in funding. As per xAI, the Musk Foundation’s donation allows clubs to reopen for almost 1,000 students.
The donation will fund staffing, supplies, and transportation, among others. “Kids are the future of humanity,” Elon Musk said in a statement, adding that students need “every chance to shoot for the stars.”
“We’re honored to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in reopening these sites, giving kids in underserved communities the tools to build brighter futures,” Musk said.
The gift was praised by local officials, including Boys & Girls Clubs board chair Michael Garriga, who stated that the “commitment will ensure the youth of our community have the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents to become successful students and future citizens.”
Lifestyle
EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.
The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry.
A strategic fit
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.
That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.
“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”
Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”
Enabling the next wave
Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.
“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.
The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.
Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.
In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”
-
Elon Musk1 week ago
Elon Musk teases crazy new Tesla FSD model: here’s when it’s coming
-
Elon Musk5 days ago
Elon Musk confirms Tesla AI6 chip is Project Dojo’s successor
-
News6 days ago
Tesla Model Y L reportedly entered mass production in Giga Shanghai
-
Elon Musk6 days ago
Tesla CEO Elon Musk details massive FSD update set for September release
-
Cybertruck5 days ago
Tesla’s new upgrade makes the Cybertruck extra-terrestrial
-
News3 days ago
Elon Musk reaffirms Tesla Semi mass production in 2026
-
News6 days ago
Elon Musk explains why Tesla stepped back from Project Dojo
-
Elon Musk1 week ago
Tesla ‘activist shareholders’ sue company and Elon Musk for Robotaxi rollout