knowing everything you know about e.g. stripe right now, would you buy $100k worth of stripe back in ~2012?
sure but for every stripe there are 10 startups that either failed or didn't amount to a great payout.
I think the point this post is making that the value of options is statistically not greater than higher salary at a competitor, given the risk an employee takes since he can't diversify his time.
that said if you believe in an idea it is absolutely great to have the option to "go long" on that idea with your time