Without the option for a domestic stock-market listing to raise cash, Chinese companies especially smaller private-sector firms are stuck for funding.

WSJ: China's IPO Doors Likely To Stay Closed

Now, the advice that many a would-be Internet millionaire got from tax experts and the media was to sell the beaten up option shares before the year was out and use the proceeds to buy back the stock at current market prices.

FORBES: Some Incentive