[morgante]

OP would have to speak to his experience, but between a Google IPO and the $10M Virgin acquisition I would be surprised if he didn't average >$200k lifetime.

Throughout this thread, it's clear you have an ax to grind. Startups are obviously not for you, but many enjoy them and benefit.

[scarface_74]

He wasn’t a “founder” at Google. Google IPO’d in 2004. How many of the $n number of startups founded around the time that Google was founded and it IPO’d were successful and how many disappeared into obscurity?

There are so many people especially on HN who succumb to survivorship bias. Most failed startup founders never admit it. The original author is not one of them and he was willing to be open about it - that’s a compliment by the way.

“Many” may benefit from them. But statistically, most don’t

[drewr]

> the $10M Virgin acquisition

I think he wrote that he didn't make anything from that. He held onto the equity because he (unfortunately) thought Virgin would turn it into a success.