More than a decade ago, Google paid Indian-American executive Neal Mohan $100 million to retain him and prevent him from joining Twitter, which is now known as X.
This information came to light again during an episode of Zerodha cofounder Nikhil Kamath‘s podcast. The host pointed out the fierce competition among tech giants to hold onto top-level talent, using Mohan’s retention deal as a notable example. This incident underlines the high-stakes efforts by major TechCompanies to secure their leadership and prevent valuable executives from moving to rival firms.
At the time, Mohan was a key figure in Google‘s  advertising division, having joined the company in 2008 following its acquisition of DoubleClick. His expertise in product strategy and management made him a valuable asset, leading Google to offer a substantial stock grant to ensure his continued contribution to the company.
This move by Google highlights the intense competition among tech giants to retain top talent and prevent valuable executives from moving to rival firms.
