In a recent episode of Nikhil Kamath’s podcast, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan discussed long-standing rumors that Google once offered him $100 million to keep him from joining Twitter. The discussion referred to a 2011 TechCrunch report which claimed Google made this massive retention offer to Mohan—then leading key initiatives in advertising and YouTube—to stop him from accepting a Chief Product Officer role at Twitter, allegedly encouraged by his former boss David Rosenblatt.
Mohan reacted to the question with a smile, cautioning listeners not to take every headline at face value, especially those from over a decade ago, without confirming or denying the story.
According to the original report, the offer was made in the form of restricted stock units valued at $100 million, to vest over time. This was part of Google’s broader strategy to retain top talent in a fiercely competitive Silicon Valley. Notably, around the same period, Google reportedly extended a $50 million stock grant to Sundar Pichai—now Alphabet’s CEO—to dissuade him from moving to Twitter.
Such retention strategies highlight the intense competition among tech giants to secure and retain top executive talent.