10/23/2019
Employees of digital media outlets worry stock options are worthless.
"A number of fast-growing digital startups gave options or other equity compensation to employees to convince them to help build media companies of the future and in some cases, leave established media outlets to do it.
According to interviews with seven current or former employees of these companies, there was a sense among early-stage employees that one day, their companies would have a big exit and their hard work could be rewarded with an amount big enough to finally pay off their student loans, maybe even make a housing payment.
Now, employees of these startups are seeing their hopes of getting rich off shares fading."
Employees at digital media companies like Vice and BuzzFeed are griping over dashed stock dreams Many now see their hopes of a windfall deflate as those companies' prospects for a successful acquisition or IPO have dwindled.