Company 1) "I got my first job working in the marketing department for a wireless device company, ten years ago. I got paid the market rate which was very good, but as you know, Northern California is an expensive place to live. My first company got sold. I had stock options but they ended up being worthless after the deal."

---> That does not count. You stayed for 10 years, learned a lot, and it seems you came in at the wrong time and were under water. It is unclear whether your CEO made "millions," but if somebody did, it was the owners, and you were not a significant owner. And you chose to live in the Bay Area, so hey, it costs to be there but you got compensated by living in a great spot. So you chose to spend the money on real estate, blah blah. Seems a little whiney right now since there are people who are REALLY struggling to live in SF and feed their families. It does not seem that you were in this category.

Company 2) "The CEO told us, 'We have an exit strategy. We will get bought by a public company and your stock options will be converted into stock in the company that buys us, or else we will go public and then your stock options will have liquidity.' That was false. We ended up merging with another company and then the combined firm was bought by a privately-owned tech company and once again I had nothing to show for my hard work. When I got laid off the second time, I had a huge monthly expense profile and I had to get a new job quickly. "

---> No, it was not FALSE. It simply did not work out the way the CEO thought it would. Now, it's not like CEOs don't want their company to be the next hot IPO or acquisition target, but hey, welcome to the real world. Things CHANGE. It is unclear whether the CEO this time made "millions," but I assume some people did: the "owners." Again, you were not an OWNER, or at least it is unclear that you had skin in this second company. Did you take a huge hair cut to work there? Did you invest your own money? But again, you kept living beyond your means. HINT HINT.

Company 3) "I had a couple of opportunities, and I took a job with a well-known serial entrepreneur who has been on many magazine covers. Once again, just a few months ago, I got laid off with three months of severance. That’s better than nothing, but my marketing programs and advice helped my ex-boss, the CEO, to make hundreds of millions of dollars. Now I sit in northern California with a $6,500/month mortgage and no job, and I’m disgusted. What am I doing wrong? How could I make three CEOs filthy rich and make nothing more than my weekly salary for myself?"

---> well, it seems you were not given significant ownership. And why would you spend $6500 mortgage if you could not afford it?

It seems your best decision was to move to San Francisco and buy a house. What is your return on that? I bet not insignificant. You deserve that. I don't see how you deserve any of the millions the owners got. Seems you got compensated well for the job you did, so it seems your bosses were square with you on each pay day right?

Or are investors now supposed to dilute themselves on the company they own when they are already paying market rate for the people who work at their companies?