Year in Review: There’s an Esop fable in Startup Inc’s IPO run

Initial public offerings (IPOs) of eight new-age internet companies this year unlocked over Rs 8,500 crore for employees from their outstanding stock options. Impressive as it is, this pales in comparison to the nearly Rs 34,000 crore in wealth amassed by founders and promoters through equity and share options, as revealed in the companies’ red herring prospectuses (RHPs) ahead of the listings.