Got me. That being said there's been quite a lot of funding happening in Paris lately, and there are a few French companies (some of them startups) which are starting to match Criteo's compensations.
Murex, eFront, Theodo, Smart AdServer, SAP, Streamroot, Klee Group …
Basically all the companies I know someone in pays this kind of salary to people with 3 to 5 years of experience !
Are we really living in the same city ?
Right. Now you hopefully see the difference between what they would like to pay and what they will have pay [to bring back top French talent from abroad] ;)