What to do with valuable options in company that should have IPO’d

Question

I used to work at a 18yr old private company that &ldquo;should&rdquo; have IPO&rsquo;d. However, we still haven&rsquo;t. The options are valuable. However, i do not have the minimum required (175k) to sell on EquityZen.I need to sell some because my father is going through Chemo, and i need the money. I have around ~110k in options.What are my options?

digi59404 · Accepted Answer

I&rsquo;m very sorry about your father. Such things have tremendous impact on your family, your father, and yourself. Make sure you prioritize space for yourself, your health and your feelings.That being said what you&rsquo;re looking for is likely a forward contract to an investment group. A forward contract gives you the money now, in exchange for a promise of transferring your shares/options when the company IPOs.The best way to do this is to look at what investment groups have invested in your company. Contact them and ask if they&rsquo;ll do a forward contract. When I did one, I did it through TigerGlobal. As soon as my company IPOed, I transferred the shares and was good to go.You may lose some value this way; but if you need the money, you need the money.Best of luck my friend, and I wish your father better health!

orbz · Answer

Reach out to your company&rsquo;s investor relations group, they might have groups who want to buy in and they can facilitate the process for you.

rubicon33 · Answer

One option (maybe your only) would be to find current owners, or employees, who would like to purchase the options from you directly.