AI WEALTH DIVIDE FUELS UNCERTAINTY IN SF TECH

The concentration of wealth among a small cohort of employees at OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, Nvidia, and select Meta staff—plus founders—has created an unprecedented divide in the industry, according to observer Deedy Das. This disparity is reshaping morale across SF's tech ecosystem. The gap between those who secured positions at AI's most valuable companies and those in traditional software roles has widened considerably, generating what industry insiders describe as "frenetic" tension. The 10,000-person group represents a fraction of the broader engineering workforce, leaving the majority navigating uncertain career prospects amid rapid industry shifts. The AI boom's spoils have concentrated among early employees and founders at a handful of high-growth firms, while broader economic gains remain elusive for most. The dynamic reflects broader patterns in tech's boom-and-bust cycles, but the speed and scale of AI-driven wealth creation has intensified feelings of exclusion among those outside the winning circle.