 Stock option magic at Microsoft only reason that Bill Gates started the company was to be able to share ownership Share ownership because that's the secret to real growth Did some of the people leave you Bill? Yes. Does it make a fuck? No value of stock options from 1984 to 1997 the value of stock options in the US public companies has grown from 200 million dollars to over 1.2 billion or over 600% and from 97 to 2008 and it's grown to a hundred It's not just silicone valley because everybody thinks it's silicone valley Morgan Stanley 91% of their stock is given away to the public options Merrill Lynch 40% travelers insurance 39% Warner land with 35% Microsoft 32% JP Morgan 29% Lehman Brothers, which is gone now 28% US Airways, which is also gone 26% Sun Microsystems 25% Marriott 25% Bankers trust general mills MCI Those are big huge percentages of big huge companies that they were given away in stock options Why do they do it do they do it because it would be mr. Generous like you know mr. Russian here They do it because it fucking works Because these people wouldn't give you ice and fucking winter and if I had any intelligence whatsoever Which I have a lot, but I really when I when I gave away stock and stock options I mean it was easily one of the smartest things I ever did Easily one of the smartest things I ever did