I don&#x27;t know anything specific about this Palantir outfit, but unless they&#x27;re doing something unusually generous with their option structure, then duh, yes, of course the shares are worthless - they&#x27;re ALWAYS worthless. That&#x27;s the game, and that&#x27;s always been the game. The founders end up with something, the first few employees end up with enough to feel like they didn&#x27;t completely waste their time, and everyone else gets a job for a while. That&#x27;s how it goes.