This seems to the case from what I've seen. The economy was doing great and federal interests rates were practically non-existant. It was the age of free money which big tech took advantage of to higher a lot of people and gave big salaries to keep the best of people. Perhaps just to prevent competition.

I think it is not accurate to say big tech was being generous or that it is their fault it stopped. This is capitalism doing what capitalism does. Taking advantage of the economy at any given moment.