This statement makes no sense. If you feel that the company doesn't pay enough, there are two possibilities. 1. You get paid way more then your teams rate, proving the CEO is not being truthful (there is more money if people negotiate hard enough) 2. You are also underpaid and are doing yourself a disservice by staying
Unfortunately it is #2. I am underpaid by over 75%. The average on the team is under by about 30 - 50%... so not only am I underpaid I am underpaid quite a lot more than others in the company. I do, however, have quite a bit more stock options.
And the CEO from what I understand went two years without a paycheck. But he is independently wealthy (I am not).
I stay for various personal reasons. Reasons that the other people on the team don't have.
And because 75% underpaid is still enough to support me and my family with a modest lifestyle.
Honestly this sounds terrible. From what you have said it seems fairly clear that you are being exploited by the CEO / others. And what does it even mean that the CEO (who presumably owns a large portion of the company) went without pay for two year when he is independently wealthy? You sound quite intelligent so just think about it, if he was paying himself a salary it would just be transferring money from his bank account to his bank account again, all while being taxed. The fact that this is used as a mitigating factor to argue that you are not getting screwed is absurd, for your sake I hope you go out to the marketplace and get paid what you deserve.
