It does seem likely that some tricks were involved to arrive at a sensational number. But if Google pays an average engineer on the order of $100,000 , this is

It does seem likely that some tricks were involved to arrive at a sensational number. But if Google pays an average engineer on the order of $100,000 , this is 1000 times the average annual salary as a one time bonus. That seems exceptional, certainly, but not completely insane. On the flip side, it might keep a certain type of engineer for bolting for a startup. Even the most optimistic entrepreneur knows the odds of a $100 M payday are pretty much non-existent.