Stripe may stay private for years. Your plan shouldn't wait for an IPO.
A $159 billion tender, founders who call staying private a growing advantage, and a net worth tied to one company. I'm a queer financial planner who works on equity compensation. Together we'll get clear on what you own and turn each tender into a real step toward the freedom you want.
Private · $159B employee tender, Feb 2026 · no IPO date · Updated October 2026
Book a free intro callWhat should Stripe employees do with their equity if Stripe stays private?
Treat each tender as a planning decision. Decide ahead of time how much to sell to fund your goals and build savings outside Stripe, set aside taxes beyond the default withholding, and keep a written plan for the shares you hold. Don't put off a home, a family or a career change waiting for an IPO that may not come soon.
Source: CNBC: Stripe valued at $159 billion after tender offer, Feb 24, 2026
What Stripe employees are dealing with right now
If some of these sound familiar, you're not behind. Each one is a problem a clear plan is built to solve.
One tender a year, one decision a year
Stripe's employee tenders have come about once a year: February 2024, February 2025 and February 2026. If you sit one out, you may be waiting another twelve months for the next chance.
How we handle it: We decide your sale amount months before the window opens, so February isn't a scramble.
A company that may not need to go public
In August 2026, Stripe's founders told investors that staying private is a growing advantage. That's good for the company, but it means your equity may stay hard to sell for a long time.
How we handle it: We build your plan so it works even if there's never an IPO, using tenders and outside savings.
The tax hit when RSUs turn into cash
If your RSUs settle as part of a tender, their value is usually taxed as wages. Withholding at the flat supplemental rate can leave you short, especially in California.
How we handle it: We estimate the bill before the tender closes and set aside the gap.
The value has dropped before
Stripe was valued at $95 billion in 2021, fell to $50 billion in 2023, and reached $159 billion in 2026. If you joined in 2021, you've already seen how far a private valuation can move.
How we handle it: We decide how much Stripe you want to own and stick to a written plan, whichever way the next valuation goes.
Still holding after you've left
Many former employees still hold Stripe shares and can sell in tenders. It's easy to lose track of what you own, or miss a deadline, once you've moved on.
How we handle it: We keep a clear record of every share you hold and every deadline that applies to you.
Two headquarters and offices everywhere
Stripe is based in South San Francisco and Dublin, with U.S. offices in Seattle, New York, Chicago and Atlanta, plus remote roles. Where you live when shares vest and when you sell changes your tax bill.
How we handle it: We map your vesting by location, so a move doesn't come with a surprise.
What's happened at Stripe so far
Feb 24, 2026
Stripe announced a tender offer for current and former employees at a $159 billion valuation, up from $91.5 billion a year earlier. Stripe is also buying back some shares. (CNBC)
Aug 2026
In a letter to investors, Stripe's founders described staying private as "a growing advantage" in the AI era. (Payments Dive)
Oct 2026
Stripe remains privately held with no announced IPO date. (SmartAsset)
Your main way to get cash from your shares is the company's tender offers. That's more access than most private-company employees get, but it's on Stripe's schedule. A plan that knows what each tender is for turns a once-a-year scramble into steady progress.
Why it helps to work with someone who gets it
Most advisors who work with tech employees understand stock options. Fewer understand queer families, chosen family, and the legal gaps we still plan around. I'm part of this community, so you can tell me the whole story from the first meeting. That openness is where clarity comes from, because a plan is only as good as what it's built on.
You won't have to edit your story
With a new advisor, many queer people quietly decide how much to share: who your partner is, why you don't talk to a parent, why the standard estate plan doesn't fit. Here you can start with the real version. A plan built on the full picture is the only kind that holds up.
Your partner is a full partner, married or not
If you're not married, your partner has no automatic claim to your Stripe equity, your 401(k), or your accounts. Beneficiary designations, a will, and, where it fits, a revocable trust make sure the person you chose actually inherits what you've built.
Chosen family counts
Maybe you help support a friend, a sibling or an elder in the community. Maybe the people you'd name in your will aren't the ones the law would pick. We plan for the family you actually have, including who makes medical and financial decisions if you can't.
Family building on your own timeline
Surrogacy, IVF and adoption can run well into six figures. A liquidity event is often when queer couples can finally say yes. We match share sales to family-building costs and check your employer's fertility and family benefits first.
The cost of living where you feel safe
Many of us pay more to live where we feel safe and seen: San Francisco, Seattle, New York, LA. Those cities come with high housing costs and state income taxes. Your equity plan has to fund the life you can actually live there, not a national-average budget.
Health care that fits your life
If you or your partner are planning gender-affirming care, we budget for coverage gaps, out-of-network care and recovery time, and look at how changing jobs after a liquidity event could affect your coverage.
Where a clear plan can take you
- 01
Clarity
We bring every grant, account and goal into one picture, including your partner's. You'll know what you own, what it's worth after tax, and what it can pay for.
- 02
A written plan
We agree on rules for how much to sell, when, and why. Taxes are set aside before they're due, so nothing catches you off guard.
- 03
Freedom
Your Stripe equity can start funding the life you want, and big decisions get easier because the hard thinking is already done.
What freedom could look like for you
A home that's yours
Buy in the neighborhood where you feel at home, with a down payment from a sale you planned, not one you rushed.
A family, when you're ready
Pay for IVF, surrogacy or adoption without draining your emergency fund or putting off the decision another year.
Staying at Stripe because you want to
Know your number, so your job is something you choose. A sabbatical, a new role or your own company becomes a real option.
Taking care of your people
Support a partner, chosen family and the causes you care about, on terms you set and can keep up.
The details we'll work through together
How much to sell in each tender
We start with what the money is for, like a home, a surrogacy journey, paying off debt or financial independence, and work backward to a sale amount. Then we set rules for what you hold and when you'd sell more.
The withholding gap
RSUs and tender proceeds are usually withheld at the 22% federal supplemental rate (37% above $1 million). If you're in the 32%, 35% or 37% bracket — plus California's 13.3% top rate or New York's — that gap can become a five- or six-figure April surprise. We set aside the difference the week the shares settle.
Choosing your state before you sell
California can tax equity that vested while you lived there, even after you move. Washington has no tax on wages. If you're thinking about relocating, we look at what you've already earned before you go.
Too much of one company
When one stock is most of your net worth, a single bad quarter can change your plans. We build a written, rules-based selling plan — how much, when, and why — so you're not making the call on a stressful trading day. We stay neutral on the company and keep the plan focused on your goals.
Giving with appreciated shares
Donating low-basis shares to a donor-advised fund in a high-income year lets you deduct the market value and skip the capital gains. Starting in 2026, the OBBBA adds a 0.5%-of-AGI floor on itemized charitable gifts and caps the deduction's value at 35% for top-bracket filers, so timing and bunching gifts matters more than before.
Where Stripe teams live
San Francisco Bay Area
Stripe is headquartered in South San Francisco, so many employees live in the city, down the Peninsula or in the East Bay.
Seattle area
Stripe has a Seattle office, and many employees live in Capitol Hill, Ballard and nearby neighborhoods.
New York City
Stripe has a New York office, so many employees live in Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen and Brooklyn.
Chicago
Stripe has a Chicago office, and many employees live in Boystown, Andersonville and Lakeview.
Every meeting is virtual, so you can work with me wherever your team sends you.
A planner who understands your life and your equity
I'm Taylor, Founder & Financial Planner at Aequitas Financial. I'm a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and I work with queer professionals whose net worth is tied up in company equity.
Aequitas is fee-only, and I act as a fiduciary. I don't earn commissions, I'm not paid by your employer, and I don't sell insurance or products. You can ask me anything, and I'll give you a straight answer, including when the answer is "I'd wait" or "that's a question for your attorney."
My goal is that you leave every meeting clearer than you came in: you'll know what we're doing, why, and what comes next.
I coordinate with your CPA and estate attorney. I'm not a CPA, so tax filing stays with your tax professional; my job is to plan ahead so their work has fewer surprises.
Questions from Stripe employees
Keep reading: equity compensation for LGBTQ+ professionals, ISOs and the AMT, concentrated stock strategies, and other company pages: Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceX, Databricks, Anduril.
Aequitas Financial is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or compensated by Stripe. Company news above is drawn from the public sources linked and is current as of October 2026. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
This page is part of our wider guide to LGBTQ+ financial planning — how fee-only, fiduciary planning works for queer households, and which topic to start with.