Deedy Das Says 10,000 AI Winners Top $20 Million as Tech Workers Fear Layoffs
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · May 16
Deedy Das Says 10,000 AI Winners Top $20 Million as Tech Workers Fear Layoffs
1 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · May 16
About 10,000 people at AI leaders such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Nvidia have already reached retirement wealth above $20 million, Menlo Ventures partner Deedy Das estimated in a widely shared post.
Das said that windfall is sharpening a split across San Francisco tech: workers earning under $500,000 still see little path to similar wealth, while layoffs are "in full swing."
Software engineers also fear AI is eroding the value of their core skills, he wrote, leaving many uncertain about career choices and fueling what he called a deep malaise about work.
The post drew pushback on X, where some users argued the workers described remain highly privileged, while others said this AI cycle is unusually harsh because the same technology creates fortunes and threatens fallback jobs.
As AI creates unprecedented wealth for a few, is the golden age of software engineering already over?
With spending far outpacing revenue, is the AI boom a genuine revolution or the biggest financial bubble yet?
AI threatens millions of jobs. Will its profits be reinvested in society or just enrich the elite?