A cult of valuation
Nik Storonsky’s Musk-style pay deal at Revolut is a staggering show of ambition wrapped in Silicon Valley swagger.
If the London-based fintech hits a $150 billion valuation, the founder and CEO could unlock a multibillion-dollar bonus – potentially equivalent to 10% of the company. Admirers see it as a masterstroke. Critics, like me, see a system creaking under the weight of its own mythology.
Hype over substance?
Let’s not kid ourselves: this isn’t just about rewarding success. It’s about building a cult around growth at all costs, regardless of the broader consequences. In a world where many still face stagnant wages and rising living costs, the optics of one man securing a mega payday for ballooning a paper valuation is tone-deaf, even grotesque.
We’ve seen this script before – Elon Musk’s stratospheric package at Tesla turned legal and ethical heads. Storonsky’s version is no different. Structured to drip-feed payouts as valuation milestones are met, it’s designed to fuel feverish investor hype and media buzz. But here’s the rub: value isn’t always value. A unicorn’s price tag can soar on sentiment, not substance.
Forgotten workforce
This deal also raises fundamental questions about fairness. Revolut’s workforce helped it reach a £1bn profit milestone last year. They built the platform, scaled the systems, and carried the customer relationships. But it’s one man’s name dominating the headlines – and likely the reward. Equity culture was meant to democratise success. Deals like this distort that original ideal.
Investor logic or inequality engine?
Investors may argue that extraordinary performance warrants extraordinary rewards. Fine. But who sets the bar, and who audits the climb? If this trend continues, we’ll see more corporate emperors cloaked in KPIs while their teams watch from the sidelines.
IPO-era reckoning
As Revolut eyes a potential IPO, transparency, culture, and social licence will matter more than ever. Storonsky’s deal might impress markets short-term, but if it alienates talent, customers, or regulators, it could cost the company far more than it gains.
In the age of narrative-driven valuation, we need to ask harder questions about what we’re really rewarding and who gets left behind in the process. Money may talk, but fairness eventually walks out the door.
