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Diller calls using unvested equity handcuffs for employee retention "ridiculous"

Barry Diller · Barry Diller: Building IAC · Sep 30, 2025 · at 51:22

IAC Chairman Barry Diller explains his philosophy on executive retention and equity compensation on The Knowledge Project.

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“I've heard a retention arguments from time immemorial, decades of, well, we do this to retain people. I think that's ridiculous. You retain people, people stay in your enterprise because they like what they do, and there's opportunity there. A handcuff, so to speak, or they stay because they haven't vested in this or that. I think that's hogwash. I don't believe in retention. I believe in opportunity.”

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