I think you have your facts wrong. Amazon issues RSUs not options. The same process is used for essentially all employees. The annual proxy report describes t

I think you have your facts wrong. Amazon issues RSUs not options. The same process is used for essentially all employees. The annual proxy report describes the process for the top execs (Jassy, Wilke, Blackburn) and it is identical to the process for a L4 SDE. New hires get RSUs that vest at 12 months, 24 months, 30 months, 36 months, 42 months, and 48 months after they start. These are 5%, 15%, 20%, 20%, 20%, and 20%, respectively, of the total initial RSU grant. It doesn't change. You do get more RSUs in future years, but that does not impact the vesting schedule of the initial grant. There is no annual bonus at Amazon. You get 1/12 of your base salary each month. New hires get additional cash each month for the first two years (usually more in the first year), but that is the sign-on bonus. It isn't an advance. The only case I know of that does not match the above is for sales reps -- this is a limited set of people and I doubt that many are reading HN.