Desk·2026-09-21
HRT cash year versus OpenAI paper
Same software-engineer title. Hudson River Trading prints the cash year. OpenAI prints the lab mark. Name the mix before the number.
OpenAI typical $653,000 against $480,000 at Hudson River Trading.
SWE typical
OpenAI typical sits ~1.36× HRT
Same title. NY HFT clears the cash year. Frontier lab clears the paper band. Thin sample on the shop side.
How to plan it
Sit the cash shop before you mark the lab
A software engineer looking at 2027 should treat Hudson River Trading and OpenAI as two books, not one high band. HRT prints $480k typical on the ledger with a $220k base you keep. OpenAI prints $653k typical with a $270k base and the rest in lab paper. The shop compounds the year in cash. The lab compounds a mark that only clears if the unit stays liquid. If you need rent and a 2027 cash year and can sit the NY HFT loop, take HRT first. If you can hold paper and want the 1.36× typical, sit OpenAI — but name the mix. Do not treat a $480k cash year and a $653k lab year as the same next seat. The title is shared; the books are not.
Also: HRT vs OpenAI · Who pays cash