ASML will award each employee a €20,000 bonus due to record sales fueled by the growing demand for AI.
ASML is set to distribute a €20,000 share award to all 45,000 of its employees, which will vest in 2030. This move follows similar bonus distributions from Samsung, SK Hynix, and TSMC, reflecting the profits from the AI boom reaching the workforce.
The company officially announced on Friday that all global employees will receive a one-time share award valued at €20,000 ($22,862), which will vest on January 1, 2030, for those who remain with ASML for the entire duration. ASML is recognized as Europe's most valuable company, employing around 45,000 people.
This payout is part of a trend in the chip industry, where companies have been granting substantial bonuses due to the surge in AI-related profits. After achieving record profits, Samsung provided its chip workers with average bonuses of $340,000, while SK Hynix offered similar financial rewards. TSMC has also pledged to increase profit-sharing by over 30% this year. Companies that benefit significantly from AI infrastructure investment are being urged to share their profits with their employees. In May, South Korea’s deputy prime minister warned that conflicts driven by AI in the workplace are likely to persist as large corporations continue to grow.
Furthermore, ASML recently updated its annual sales forecast for the second time this year, estimating it to be between €43 billion and €45 billion. The company plans to boost its production capacity by 30% by 2027 and is reducing the build time for EUV machines by a third, having nearly sold out its production until 2028. As the sole producer of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, ASML's equipment is essential for advanced chips produced by TSMC, Samsung, and Intel.
The bonus also serves as a retention strategy. ASML is currently undergoing a restructuring process that involves reducing management layers while needing to recruit and retain skilled engineers who construct the most intricate machines in the semiconductor supply chain. The vesting timeline set for 2030 ties employees to the company for nearly four years, coinciding with ASML's aggressive expansion plans. With a total value of approximately €900 million, this award is among the largest single payouts to employees in the history of European technology.
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ASML will award each employee a €20,000 bonus due to record sales fueled by the growing demand for AI.
ASML's 45,000 staff members will get a one-time share grant of €20,000, which will mature in 2030. This year, Samsung, SK Hynix, and TSMC have also issued comparable payments.
