What happened to the $1.7 billion of shares that you did get by exercising your options?
Ok? So the author should have those shares to his name?
It's OK, dude. We've all been there. You're in good company with Masayoshi Son on this one.
Which of the possibilities is more likely is anyone’s guess.
Admitting the status of his original shares is not a good look either way. Either he sold, and the additional shares aren't technically worth $1B because he'd have sold them too. Otherwise he held, and is another unsatisfied greedy billionaire in the world.