My cynical comment on stock options is that I usually hang onto the fancy granting certificate because years later I know it will be valuable…
…valuable that is to take with me camping, to help start a campfire, OR wipe my ass with in the woods if I’ve run out of TP.
I’ve always gotten stock options from the “Premier”
*cough*
*cough*
Blue Chip employers I’ve worked for. Invariably I’ve found those options end up worthless.
My new employer gave me nearly 10,000 options on company stock, vesting in like 4 years, or whatever. Those options remain out-of-the-money.
Of course, if you happen to get some options on the ground floor in a tasty start-up company that becomes wildly successful, you can become a multi-millionaire. I live in Silicon Valley and see plenty of VERY high end sports cars driving around here as proof of that!
