GoKawiilFormer Nvidia adviser claims $1 billion in unvested stock over 1996 vesting dispute
Eric Gullichsen, who served on Nvidia's Technical Advisory Board from 1993 to 1996, says he was granted 25,000 stock options but only 15,625 vested before he left, due to a discrepancy over whether his options were meant to vest quarterly or annually. He argues that after 30 years of stock splits, the missing 9,375 options would now be worth roughly $1 billion, and he is disputing Nvidia's account of the vesting terms.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The claim highlights how decades-old paperwork ambiguities can balloon into massive sums once a company's valuation explodes, as Nvidia's has amid the AI boom. Whether Gullichsen has a legal case likely hinges on the exact wording of his original option agreement versus Huang's invitation letter, a discrepancy that could invite scrutiny of early-stage compensation practices at tech startups. The dispute could also set a precedent for how such vesting disagreements are resolved long after the fact.
- Gullichsen says his 1993 option agreement specified quarterly, not annual, vesting.
- Only 15,625 of his 25,000 granted options vested before he left Nvidia in 1996.
- He estimates the shortfall is now worth about $1 billion due to Nvidia's stock splits and valuation growth.
Source: techspot.com — Kishalaya Kundu, 2026-09-29
Published there as: “Ex-Nvidia advisor says the company owes him $1 billion in stock, but Nvidia disagrees”
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