Large money comes from ownership and the inherent risk. No one will ever give you enough money to go away completely as an employee. Can you make a little scratch? Of course. This industry pays very well. But if you want 500k and up in lump sums? Being an employee is never going to make it happen imho.
And just for the record equity is not ownership. Go read up about all the maneuvers businesses can and will take to screw you out of your shares and you'll open your eyes. Businessmen don't give away anything they don't have to. Just a reality. If you can navigate that minefield you may one day be the outlier and get rich. But more likely you'll be fighting in court for years only to learn that well, you should've read the fine print.
Don't get duped out here guys. Don't do this to get rich. Do this because you want to do it and everything else, with hard work, will fall into place.