Hard Fork · Friday, October 30, 2026
Erin Griffith and Max Reed discuss Microsoft offering buyout packages to 60,000 employees as part of its ongoing shift toward heavy AI and infrastructure spending, though they expect only 3% to 5% of employees to take them.
“Microsoft offered biopackages to 60,000 people. Erin, what did you make of that?”
“an enormous number and it when you put in perspective of the fact that you know microsoft has like 230 000 employees it just reminds you of how enormous these companies are um but and just to be clear um buyout packages doesn't mean 60 000 people are going to take them they expect three to three to five percent of their employees to actually take them”