Ex-DeepMind researcher: whistleblowers quit $500K/yr salaries to warn the public
JonathanDBos · x · 2026-09-12
Alignment researcher TurnTrout says he made over $500K/yr with great benefits at Google DeepMind; after leaving he earns roughly half and lost health insurance. His message: when AI lab whistleblowers quit, they're giving up a lot of money to tell you something — a signal of their credibility. He adds in replies that $500K is a lower bound given IPOs and illiquid equity.
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