For Yousuf Imran, the grass was greener outside of Google. 

The 41-year-old Google account executive earned $986,000 in 2026, mainly from sales commissions that layered on top of a $170,000 base salary. Despite making nearly $1 million at Google, he was drawn to the “life-changing money” that AI startups were offering their employees. 

“Google pays very well, but the equity packages at OpenAI and Anthropic are in a different universe,” Imran, a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, said in a recent interview with Business Insider. 

He was also disillusioned with Google because the tech giant laid off some of his coworkers over the past few years — and he wondered if he would be next. Since early 2023, Google has eliminated tens of thousands of jobs globally after rapid pandemic hiring.

So, in April, Imran took the plunge and quit Google to launch an AI sales tools startup. 

His move away from Google highlights how the tech giant has lost some of its edge in the AI boom, per Business Insider. Google’s generous compensation packages and perks drew a fair share of interest over the years. According to employer branding firm Universum, Google was the most appealing employer for business students for over a decade, from 2009 to 2022, before losing the top spot to Apple.  

AI startups are coming for Google’s crown

Now Google is losing ground to AI companies. Business Insider interviewed 12 current and former Google employees and found that the AI boom has opened the door to more opportunities elsewhere. For example, Bloomberg reported last month that two AI researchers, Jonas Adler and Alexander Pritzel, are planning to leave Google for Anthropic. The two previously worked on Google’s Gemini AI, with Adler working on Gemini’s coding push and Pritzel honing the process of training AI systems. 

Google offers competitive compensation. The median Google employee made $331,894 in 2024, a 5% increase from 2023, according to federal filings. However, AI startups offer greater financial opportunities. Former Google workers want the excitement and sky-high earning potential associated with joining a rapidly growing AI company or creating one of their own, per Business Insider. 

Google offers generous perks — but it is scaling back

Google has long symbolized the gold standard for Silicon Valley perks, pairing high salaries with lavish benefits that blurred the line between office and life. Employees still enjoy free or subsidized meals, comprehensive health coverage, generous parental leave and strong retirement programs. 

In recent years, however, Google has systematically pared back its more extravagant offerings to save money and operate more efficiently. For example, in 2023, the company eliminated some of its snack bars and food options, per a leaked staff memo viewed by The Wall Street Journal. According to the same memo, it also shut down some cafeterias on days with relatively few people in the office. CNBC further reported that Google also ended its free massage services for workers that year. 

A Google spokesperson told Business Insider last month that the company is confident that it can still attract and retain top talent. 

For Yousuf Imran, the grass was greener outside of Google. 

The 41-year-old Google account executive earned $986,000 in 2026, mainly from sales commissions that layered on top of a $170,000 base salary. Despite making nearly $1 million at Google, he was drawn to the “life-changing money” that AI startups were offering their employees. 

“Google pays very well, but the equity packages at OpenAI and Anthropic are in a different universe,” Imran, a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, said in a recent interview with Business Insider.