Filing: Disney agreed to hire 60+ staff from Character.AI and pay them ~$180M over three years, plus $30M for retention awards; a bankruptcy judge must approve
THE SO WHAT
A $210M package for ~60 Character.AI staff over three years is a clear price signal for top-tier applied AI talent—media and IP owners are willing to buy teams, not just license models. If you're building in AI, assume acqui-hire economics will shape retention and comp expectations, and that strategic buyers will treat core AI staff as a scarce asset class.
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