1,000.
That is the approximate number of Google employees who became millionaires after the internet giant launched its Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2004.
One of the most famous stories is that of Bonnie Brown. In 1999, Bonnie was hired as a masseuse at Google for about $24,000 a year - 53% below San Francisco’s average annual salary of $45,670 at the time.
But what Bonnie lacked in a paycheck, she made up for with stock options.
Back then, Google had roughly 40 employees. Most of whom received part of their compensation in stock options. They hoped that it would be worth millions of dollars someday.
After the 2004 IPO, Bonnie cashed out her stock options, quit her masseuse job and became a millionaire.
The concept is simple.
If you own stock options in Google, for example, it does not necessarily mean that you have shares (or stock) in the
