--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Keep salaries low and equity high. Keep…" description: "\"Keep salaries low and equity high. Keep the organization as flat as you can.\" — Sam Altman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29c/sam-altman-1494_equity_keep-salaries-low-and-equity-high-keep-t_966107.png" --- # Keep salaries low and equity high. Keep the organization… ![“Keep salaries low and equity high. Keep the organization as flat as you can.” quote by Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29c/sam-altman-1494_equity_keep-salaries-low-and-equity-high-keep-t_966107.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29c/sam-altman-1494_equity_keep-salaries-low-and-equity-high-keep-t_966107.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29c/sam-altman-1494_equity_keep-salaries-low-and-equity-high-keep-t_966107.png) > “Keep salaries low and equity high. Keep the organization as flat as you can.” [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Flat structures with modest pay and high ownership keep teams agile and motivated. **In simple terms:** Low salaries, high equity, flat hierarchy. Key Takeaway Embrace equity over high wages. Themes organization compensation structure Mood strategic pragmatic Type advice business When to use this quote - startup hiring - team building - budget planning Key Concepts equity flat hierarchy motivation Questions to Reflect On - Is equity enough to retain top talent? - How to balance fairness and competitiveness? A Different Perspective High wages may attract talent despite equity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Equity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equity/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) ## Related quotes > [You are as good as your product. When you are used and loved by everyone, your brand equity is high. 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I think this is totally backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/founders-are-usually-very-stingy-with-equity-to-employees-and-very/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [I've heard that one-half of the students at elite schools want to go into private equity or hedge funds. They want to keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-ve-heard-that-one-half-of-the-students-at-elite-schools-want-to-go/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Investors, of course, can, by their own behavior make stock ownership highly risky. And many do. 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Active trading, attempts to "time" market movements, inadequate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/investors-of-course-can-by-their-own-behavior-make-stock-ownership/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [I've heard that one-half of the students at elite schools want to go into private equity or hedge funds. They want to keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-ve-heard-that-one-half-of-the-students-at-elite-schools-want-to-go/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [The most critical factor subduing the demand for housing is that home ownership is no longer seen as the great, long-term buildup in equity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/the-most-critical-factor-subduing-the-demand-for-housing-is-that-home/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [I used to drive up from theatre in Michigan to Stratford, Ontario to watch every show. I idolized the actors from Stratford. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-englund/i-used-to-drive-up-from-theatre-in-michigan-to-stratford-ontario-to/) [Robert Englund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-englund/) > [Equity sends questions to Law. Law sends questions back to equity; Law finds it can't do this, equity finds it can't do that; neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/equity-sends-questions-to-law-law-sends-questions-back-to-equity-law/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Not one criminal charge has ever been brought to any bank executive associated with the 2008 crisis. And in fact, it gets worse. 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Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-malone/) [Browse all 540 Equity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Keep salaries low and equity high. 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