In June 2025, reports surfaced that Meta (Facebook’s parent company) was offering $100 million signing bonuses to recruit top AI talent from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.
$100 million. For one person. Not a contract. A signing bonus.
While the headlines feel like Silicon Valley gossip, they point to something deeper: a society where wealth is pooling at the top—while everyone else is trying to stay afloat.
| Individual or Group | Income / Access to Capital |
|---|---|
| Top AI Talent at Meta | $100,000,000 (signing bonus) |
| Median U.S. Household | $74,580 (annual) |
| 40% of U.S. Households | Less than $50,000 (annual) |
| Bottom 50% of Americans | Own < 2% of total U.S. wealth |
Let’s get specific:
But who are the companies advertising to? Who’s supposed to be buying all the things these ads are for?
Most ads are aimed at the broad middle—people making $50K to $150K.
These folks used to be the middle class. Now many are living paycheck to paycheck, loaded with debt, and slowly slipping downward.
Their ability to buy is propped up not by income growth but by credit cards, buy-now-pay-later services, and borrowing.
| Household Income Bracket | % of Households |
|---|---|
| Less than $25,000 | 15% |
| $25,000 – $50,000 | 22% |
| $50,000 – $75,000 | 17% |
| $75,000 – $100,000 | 12% |
| $100,000 – $150,000 | 15% |
| $150,000 – $200,000 | 7% |
| Over $200,000 | 12% |
In places like Berkeley, CA, a modest home now costs $1 million. Even with an FHA loan and just 3.5% down ($35,000), you’d need a household income of around $200,000 to qualify based on debt-to-income ratio requirements.
That eliminates most Americans. Not because they’re lazy. Because the numbers literally don’t work.
The consumer engine that drives the U.S. economy depends on working people spending money. But what happens when they can't?
We are seeing a return to company towns, just with better design. Tech workers live on campuses. Gig workers juggle 3 jobs with no benefits. Renters are increasingly tethered to landlords who are also their employers.
Young people? They're turning to the trades. Living at home longer. Delaying major life milestones. Unemployment for 18–24-year-olds is higher than the national average, and even college grads are underemployed.
You can’t change this overnight. But you can claim control over what you *can* influence—your money, your plan, your future.
That’s what Bountisphere is built for.
The game is rigged—but you’re not broken.
You don’t need $100 million to win. You just need a system that finally works for you.
Bountisphere can help you build it.