Stock options made region sizzle in '90s
SeattlePI | at | by Mike
Microsoft shut off one of the primary engines of economic growth of the late 1990s yesterday, its stock option program, but it had been cool for a while. As the 20th century came to a close, billions of dollars in converted Microsoft options helped to boost home prices and consumers spending around Seattle. Now, the company will reward employees with actual stock, promising the region more moderate but also more reliable economic support. The economic effect of Microsoft options was staggering.