Comment by jawns

One other problem this creates, which the article doesn't touch on, is that many employees in the R&D economy are offered stock options in lieu of 401(k)s or a more liquid equivalent compensation. And an IPO is the most straightforward way to cash out. Yes, it's possible to cash out during an acquisition, but anecdotally, it seems as if more people holding stock options have gotten screwed during an acquisition than during an IPO.