ByteDance has a talent problem, and it’s throwing money at it. The TikTok parent company launched a special stock option program for its Seed AI division, the internal team responsible for building its large language models, designed specifically to keep engineers from walking out the door and into the arms of competitors.
The 18-month program, which began in September 2025, grants monthly stock options ranging from CNY 90,000 to CNY 130,000 per employee, roughly $12,594 to $18,180 depending on performance. In English: ByteDance is paying its best AI people what amounts to a second salary just to stick around.
The full retention playbook
Stock options are just one piece of the strategy. ByteDance also increased its 2025 bonus pool by 35%, a significant bump that signals how seriously the company views the retention crisis in AI.
Perhaps more telling is the restructuring of equity vesting schedules. The company shortened the vesting period for Seed AI staff from four years to three. Faster vesting means employees hit their full equity payout sooner, which reduces the golden handcuff effect but also makes the near-term compensation more competitive against rivals dangling immediate payouts.
