How Much Do Employees Make In An Ipo? We Share Some Success Stories (2024)

On a day-to-day basis, running your startup involves tasks like writing employment offer letters or deciding how to compensate startup interns. In the long run, however, you’ll need to keep an eye on your company’s exit strategy. Here, the two main options are either to sell a startup in an M&A transaction, or to take the company public in an IPO (initial public offering). During an IPO, a privately owned corporation becomes publicly traded, allowing members of the public to purchase shares. IPOs are also an opportunity for the startup’s employees to exercise stock options that they were offered when joining the company. Stock options are the most common way that startups compensate employees without paychecks. Recent years have seen a massive increase in the number of IPOs. In 2020, there were 494 IPOs in the U.S. market, setting a new record and more than doubling the number from 2019. The trend attained new heights again in 2021, with more than 1,000 IPOs in the U.S. stock market. But what can startup employees expect when their company goes public? If you’re contemplating “How much do employees make from IPOs?” or “What does an IPO mean for employees?”, keep reading for the answers.

Do employees make money in an IPO?

With a high enough share price, a startup’s employees could become a lot richer by selling their stocks. This is especially true for employees who joined in the company’s early stages, and who usually own a larger percentage of the business. But if one IPO could make workers wealthy, another could be a major disappointment. In March 2021, for example, the IPO of the food delivery app Deliveroo was called “the worst IPO in London’s history” when the company’s stock price plunged by 26 percent in one day. The factors that tend to make an IPO successful include a large market of potential customers, a unique value proposition, intriguing products and services, and strong cash flow and revenue. However, even the most promising startup IPO can be impaired by external factors such as market conditions, the performance of competitors, and too much media hype.

What happens to employees in an IPO?

In an IPO, employees have the option to hold or sell the company shares they own. However, employees and other company insiders (e.g. founders and inventors) who want to sell shares generally need to wait until the end of the “lockup period,” which typically lasts from 90 to 180 days.

More specifically, employees have the option to purchase company stock at a specified price per share, known as the “strike price.” This amount is set at the time the employee receives the stock option (e.g. when joining the company). If the company’s stock price has risen above the strike price, employees can then sell their stock at a profit. One important question is when employees should exercise their stock options for the most favorable tax treatments. According to Wealthfront, the ideal time is at least one year before the company’s planned IPO date. Doing so will qualify you for the lower long-term capital gains tax rate, instead of the higher ordinary income tax rates. To qualify, however, you’ll need to have held your exercised shares for at least one year. In addition, the stock options must have been granted at least two years before the date you exercised them. You also need to weigh the potential tax savings against the possibility that you could earn more by exercising at a different time. Even before an IPO, there are ways for employees to trade their company stock. For example, Nasdaq Private Market is a platform that lets investors purchase pre-IPO shares. This concept is known as a “tender offer,” in which private buyers can invest in the company before it goes public.

How much do people make on an IPO?

In a HackerNews thread titled “How much did you make from your IPO?”, a few startup employees shared their experiences when their companies went public. Although the stories here are anecdotal and may not be representative, they still help provide a clearer picture of how much employees can expect to make from an IPO:

    • Employee #1: One of the first 5 employees at a Y Combinator “unicorn” (i.e. a startup with a valuation over $1 billion). The initial job offer was for 0.5 percent of the company’s shares, although the employee departed the company before all of these shares vested. According to the employee, the shares are worth $1.5 million pre-IPO, with an estimated value of $3 million to $5 million post-IPO. While at the company, the employee lived in San Francisco and had an annual salary of $120,000.
    • Employee #2: One of the first 30 employees at a startup with a valuation over $1 billion. The employee received $700,000 (post-taxes) after the company’s IPO, and expects to earn another $1.2 million in grants and restricted stock units (RSUs) over the next several years. The employee’s starting salary at the company was $70,000 as a mid-level developer, and is now $190,000.
    • Employee #3: The 13th employee at a startup with a valuation over $1 billion. The employee accepted a junior non-technical role, with a four-year vesting schedule worth $1.05 million. After leaving the company, the employee accepted a tender offer to purchase some of the employee’s stock.

Of course, these employees were all fortunate enough to work for “unicorns” with very high valuations, making these stories atypical. Most startup employees will see far less money when their company goes public. However, by working hard and choosing the right employer (along with a bit of luck), there’s no reason that workers can’t enjoy a successful IPO.

To learn more about IPOs and other topics in the founder community, see if you qualify for membershipto join Founders Network.

How Much Do Employees Make In An Ipo? We Share Some Success Stories (2024)

FAQs

How much money do employees make during IPO? ›

When the time for the company to go public comes, the real question is how much do employees make in an IPO? You can make anything from a few thousand dollars up to millions. It depends on how successful the company is, the number of employees with equity, the type of equity you have, and the lock-up period.

What do employees get when a company goes IPO? ›

A company is not necessarily obligated to give its employees any stock during the initial public offering. Employees are generally privy to the announcement and given the opportunity to buy stock, but the company the company does not have to give any to the employees.

How much did DoorDash employees make from IPO? ›

DoorDash employees collectively left $954 million on the table. That's about $924,000 per employee who received options.

How much did Facebook employees make in IPO? ›

The social network's employees got a $3.1 billion bonus this week as their restricted stock units turned into shares they can actually sell. COO Sheryl Sandberg scored about $400 million herself, and just sold off $7.4 million.

Do employees get diluted at IPO? ›

Dilution can also happen as part of an IPO. When a company goes public, new shares are often issued to raise capital. As an existing shareholder, your stake can also be diluted when: A company issues new shares because employees exercised their stock options.

Who gets paid in an IPO? ›

While companies get to keep most of their IPO proceeds, a portion also goes to all investment banks, accountants, lawyers, and others who helped them with the IPO process, including valuing the company and setting an IPO cutoff price.

How long after IPO can employees sell stock? ›

The initial public offering, also known as the IPO lockup period, is a signed restriction that prevents shareholders of a company from selling the stock before the company goes public. This period can vary, and it is usually happening anywhere from 90 days to 180 days from the day of the IPO.

Does IPO give a company cash? ›

An initial public offering, or IPO, is the first chance most individual investors get to buy an ownership stake in a young company. For early-stage investors and insiders, it's a chance to cash in. For the company, it's an opportunity to raise money for development and expansion.

Do employees get pre IPO stock? ›

Understand pre-IPO companies

Stock options are not just granted to the most senior executives. Half of the organizations give stock options to more than 80% of their employees, and a third give them to all employees.

Who are the billionaires in DoorDash IPO? ›

Tony Xu (born Xu Xun, 1983/1984) is a Chinese-American billionaire businessman, and the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of DoorDash. Born in Nanjing, China, Xu immigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of four.

What happens to employee stock when a company goes public? ›

Companies going public with a direct listing bypass the lockup period, meaning employees can sell their stock options right away if they choose. Companies going public via SPAC may have longer lockup periods. A lockup period can range from 90 to 180 days.

How much does a CEO of DoorDash get paid? ›

DoorDash's CEO is Tony Xu, appointed in May 2013, he has a tenure of 10.08 years. His total yearly compensation is $300.22K , comprised of 99.9% salary and 0.07% bonuses, including company stock and options. He directly owns 2.59% of the company's shares, worth $684.24M.

How much did Mark Zuckerberg make from IPO? ›

Based on those numbers, at the offering and including the 60 million option exercise, Zuckerberg will own 443 million shares. At $35 a share, that puts his net worth at $15.5 billion. As I pointed out earlier Thursday, Zuckerberg will get $1.06 billion (before taxes) from selling 30.2 million shares.

Who is the highest paid employee in Facebook? ›

The highest-paying job at Facebook is a Senior Executive with a salary of ₹591.0 Lakhs per year. The top 10% of employees earn more than ₹147.60 lakhs per year. The top 1% earn more than a whopping ₹712.80 lakhs per year.

What is Mark Zuckerberg salary at Facebook? ›

founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg didn't get a pay raise or receive a bonus last year, but his total compensation rose above $27 million all because of the increased use of private aircraft.

Is 1% equity in a startup good? ›

Up to this point, generally speaking, with teams of less than 12 people, the average granted equity for startup employees is 1%. This number can be as high as 2% for the first hires, and in some circ*mstances, the first hire(s) can be considered founders and their equity share could be even greater.

Is 5% equity in a startup good? ›

According to a common rule of thumb, early employees of a startup should receive between 1-5% of the company's equity, depending on their level of experience and role in the organization. However, it is essential to understand that equity is just one part of a comprehensive compensation package.

What is the average dilution at IPO? ›

Hi Lijoice, as part of the video we do discuss that any company will typically dilute around 15-20% for a IPO. This is not a compulsory dilution % but most companies are in that range.

Is an IPO good for employees? ›

Working for a company before it goes public can be highly beneficial for employees who have stock options or RSUs after a successful IPO. When employees are given stock options at an early-stage startup, they usually have the right to buy shares at a very low valuation.

What is the largest IPO in the world? ›

List of the Biggest IPOs of All Time
  • Saudi Aramco - $25.6 billion.
  • Alibaba Group - $21.7 billion raise.
  • Softbank Corp - $21.3 billion.
  • NTT Mobile - $18.1 billion.
  • Visa - $17.86 billion.
  • AIA - $17.78 billion.
  • EneL SpA - $16.45 billion.
  • Facebook - $16.45 billion.
Feb 19, 2023

Who benefits from an IPO? ›

The IPO rewards existing shareholders and attracts and retains talented human capital at the company.

What is the IPO lockup for former employees? ›

An IPO lock-up is period of days, typically 90 to 180 days, after an IPO during which time shares cannot be sold by company insiders. Lock-up periods typically apply to insiders such as a company's founders, owners, managers, and employees but may also include early investors such as venture capitalists.

What is quiet period for IPO employees? ›

The quiet period is meant to avoid raising stock prices before an IPO or giving some investors access to insider information. The quiet period can also refer to the four weeks before the close of the business quarter when company executives are not allowed to speak to the public about the business.

How long should you hold an IPO? ›

The performance of an IPO also largely depends upon the timing and market situation it is listed in. However, selling on a listing day is always better than selling after two to three years. Pay detailed attention to the pre-market duration.

How do people make money from IPO? ›

IPO Works and How to Profit from It
  1. In an IPO, you must place a bid on the shares to purchase them. ...
  2. You are given shares if your offer is approved. ...
  3. You become a shareholder of the firm if you take part in an IPO and purchase equity.

What are the pros and cons of IPO? ›

Pros & Cons Of Investing in IPO
  • Capital Access:
  • Increased Recognition:
  • More Flexibility:
  • Future Trading:
  • Higher Starting Costs:
  • Increased Pressure to Deliver Results:
  • More Administrative Work:
  • Less Autonomy:
Oct 7, 2022

Can you buy IPO at company you work for? ›

The reality is your broker perceives individual investors as unattractive targets for IPOs. Instead, management, employees, friends and families of the company going public may be offered the chance to buy shares at the IPO price in addition to investment banks, hedge funds and institutions.

What happens if you leave before IPO? ›

By exercising your stock options when leaving, you'll have to pay upfront in the hopes that you'll be able to eventually sell your shares for more than the exercise price. If the startup ends up folding or its price per share drops below your exercise price, you could lose money.

What happens to employees when a public company goes private? ›

Unfortunately, there are many possible outcomes for employees with stock options when a public company goes private: Vested stock options may be cancelled in exchange for a cash payment, generally equal to the excess (if any) of the new share price over the exercise price.

Who got rich off DoorDash? ›

Real Time Net Worth

Reflects change since 5 pm ET of prior trading day. Tony Xu cofounded restaurant delivery service DoorDash in 2013 and became a billionaire after its 2020 IPO. He owns 4.6% plus options. Cofounders Andy Fang and Stanley Tang, who Xu met while they were all studying at Stanford, own about 4% each.

Can you get rich doing DoorDash? ›

You can get a great hourly wage by dashing — around $20 per hour. These insider tips will show you how to maximize your payout like the top dashers in the game.

How to get rich from DoorDash? ›

As a driver, you can earn more money if you work in areas that are not congested. By avoiding high-traffic areas, DoorDash drivers can make money with DoorDash by accepting more orders. First, sitting in traffic wastes gas and time. But, perhaps more significantly, it may prevent you from being able to accept orders.

How do public companies give stock to employees? ›

Employee stock options are offered by companies to their employees as equity compensation plans. These grants come in the form of regular call options and give an employee the right to buy the company's stock at a specified price for a finite period of time.

What are stock options in salary? ›

In brief, stock options are a type of alternative compensation that some companies, including many startups, offer as part of their package for employees. Employees come on board at perhaps a lower-than-normal salary in exchange for the possibility of a big payday later on.

Why are stock options good for employees? ›

Stock options are a popular way for companies to build a strong relationship with employees and to motivate them to work hard in the interests of the company. Stock options are also a way to encourage employees to stay and not be tempted to leave and work for a competitor.

Can you make $1000 doing DoorDash? ›

While it is possible to make $500 or $1,000 a week driving for DoorDash, you'll need to get a little creative to get your earnings as high as you want.

What is the top DoorDash salary? ›

Highest paying cities for Delivery Driver in US
  • Portland, OR. $21.95 per hour.
  • Chicago, IL. $22.11 per hour.
  • Los Angeles, CA. $21.76 per hour.

What if you invested $1,000 in Facebook IPO? ›

If you invested $1,000 in Facebook when it went public on May 18, 2012, the market value of your shares would be worth $4,964.21 at Wednesday's close, according to CNBC calculations. Over the same stretch, a $1,000 investment in the S&P 500 index would have grown by 216% to about $3,166, compared to Meta's 396% return.

Is it correct to state that Facebook raised $16 billion through its IPO? ›

Facebook, the world's largest social network, holds its initial public offering (IPO) and raises $16 billion. It was the largest technology IPO in American history to that date, and the third-largest IPO ever in the United States, after those of Visa and General Motors.

What was Facebook's biggest IPO? ›

This price valued the company at $104 billion, the largest valuation to date for a newly public company. On May 16, two days before the IPO, Facebook announced that it would sell 25% more shares than originally planned due to high demand. This meant the stock would debut with 421 million shares.

Who is the highest paid employee in the world? ›

Tesla's CEO Elon Musk is the highest paid CEO in the world. His salary was USD 23.5 billion approximately in the year 2022.

What is the highest salary in Google? ›

The highest-paying job at Google is a President & CEO with a salary of ₹283.3 Lakhs per year. The top 10% of employees earn more than ₹76.82 lakhs per year. The top 1% earn more than a whopping ₹220.64 lakhs per year.

Who is the highest paid employee in a company? ›

1. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) This post comes with a lucrative salary and high authority, with an overall employment rate supposed to show an average rise of 8% between 2020 and 2030.

What is Elon Musk's monthly income? ›

Who is Elon Musk?
Elon Musk
Net Worth:$220 Billion
Salary:$2400 Million (Approx.)
Monthly Income:$200 Million (Approx.)
Date of Birth:June 28, 1971
3 more rows
4 days ago

What is Warren Buffett salary? ›

Include security costs, and Buffett's total compensation was $402,000 last year, a fraction of the $18 million average among S&P 500 CEOs in 2021. Berkshire estimates he made 6.4 times as much as the conglomerate's median employee.

What is Jeff Bezos annual salary? ›

Bezos, who founded the then virtual bookstore out of his garage in 1994, received a salary of $81,840 for his role as founder and executive chairman as well as $1.6 million in security costs.

How much do executives make during an IPO? ›

Equity is typically delivered in restricted shares with a one-year vesting period, or fully vested at grant. Depending upon industry, the total director pay package often ranges from approximately $100,000 to $300,000 in value.

How does a company make money during an IPO? ›

Companies can raise additional capital by selling shares to the public. The proceeds may be used to expand the business, fund research and development or pay off debt. Other avenues for raising capital, via venture capitalists, private investors or bank loans, may be too expensive.

What is the average ESOP payout? ›

NCEO founder and senior staff member

The average cumulative return per participant in S corporation ESOPs from 2002 through 2019 was over $300,000, for a compound annual growth rate of 12.1%, which is approximately one-third higher than returns from the S&P 500 over this time period.

Do public companies disclose CEO salary? ›

All executive compensation information can be found in public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC mandates all public companies to disclose how much they are paying their executives, how this amount is derived, and who is involved in determining pay.

Do most IPOs make money? ›

Do IPOs Always Have a Profit? No, IPOs do not always have a profit. Many times a company is overvalued or valued incorrectly and its stock price falls after the IPO and never reaches the IPO value that investors paid for, therefore, not making any money but rather losing money.

How much money do you need to make for an IPO? ›

Companies typically don't like to incur more than 15% dilution in an offering, which leads the minimum company valuation for an IPO to be at least $1 Billion ($200 million/15%).

Is it good to be at a company Pre-IPO? ›

Pre-IPO placements are primarily used to guarantee price stability for stocks after they are listed. The share prices of several companies experienced high levels of volatility soon after becoming public. This is because everyone who receives shares in an IPO tries to sell them as soon as the offering is over.

Can you raise money after IPO? ›

Prior Investment can be realized – That's true! After an IPO listing has been done, the shareholders know the real value of their investment. As stocks are considered liquid, shareholders can sell the stocks once the lock up period of the IPO is over. In this way, prior investments of the company can be realized.

What is normal retirement age for ESOP? ›

The normal retirement age for ESOPs is set at 65. If the ESOP is leveraged, your shares may not be available until the loan is paid in full.

How do employees make money in an ESOP? ›

An ESOP is an employee benefit plan that enables employees to own part or all of the company they work for. at fair market value (unless there's a public market for the shares). So, the employee receives the value of his or her shares from the trust, usually in the form of cash.

What happens to ESOP when I quit? ›

When an employee leaves your company, he is eligible to receive the vested portion of the ESOP retirement plan. The rest is forfeited to the company. A vesting schedule is created for retirement plans to prevent constant employee turnover from draining your plan assets.

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