I understand the emotional reaction expressed here regarding these options, but allow me to respectfully disagree. Stock options of this type help a company to keep key employees without depleting the company's critical cash balances. It is a deferred-cost way of incentivizing the staff. If the company stock performs spectacularly over the years, the chosen employees share in the profits big-time - capitalism at its very best.

Years ago early in my technology career I was offered an out-of-town job. Part of the offer was an incentive stock option. I turned down the offer because I had just purchased my first home. Four years later the 2011-equivalent dollar value (adjusted for future inflation) of the option would have been over $3 Million. Obviously, I got none of this. That was by far the most expensive house I ever bought, if you know what I mean.

Dave Webb is doing the best he can to balance employee motivation vs current cash outlays, IMHO.

Strike