employee equity in particular in startups isn't really as unambiguous as the term suggests. Given how many startups die out you may as well interpret it as a creative way for company owners to shift risk on employees. After all, the failing startup is the norm, by a huge margin. And one step further these days it looks like going public is then the next step to load risk off from employees and founders onto retail investors.
to be honest I'm not really too sad that this culture hasn't really taken hold over here. Most 'old money' in Europe isn't old billionaire heirs anyway but the small and middle-sized business who treat their employees quite well, employ them for decades, don't lay them off at the first sign of trouble and so on.
If tech in Europe is looking for a business culture I don't mind them going to the old money and family business in the German South rather than Silicon Valley.
to be honest I'm not really too sad that this culture hasn't really taken hold over here. Most 'old money' in Europe isn't old billionaire heirs anyway but the small and middle-sized business who treat their employees quite well, employ them for decades, don't lay them off at the first sign of trouble and so on.
If tech in Europe is looking for a business culture I don't mind them going to the old money and family business in the German South rather than Silicon Valley.