Understanding Stock Options—Even When You’re Not a Billionaire

There’s been a lot of attention on social media of late focused on stock sales and stock options. It’s not the kind of thing that you typically see wedged in between posts about #CatHerdingDay—a real thing—and the opening of the new Spider-Man movie—I promise, no spoilers—which is why it’s so noteworthy. Here’s what has people talking—er, tweeting.

On Dec. 19, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted:

Since Musk has shared that he doesn’t collect a salary, the tweet quickly became a talking point: How could he rack up $11 billion in taxes?

The answer that quickly circulated on social media ...