IPO Planning for Employees
Plan across the IPO lifecycle: decisions before the listing, the lock-up, your first sale, and the long-term plan. Turn paper wealth into a lasting reserve of sound money, vaulted in your own name.
Partnering with you through every stage of the IPO
2026 is shaping up as one of the biggest IPO years on record. SpaceX's June listing raised $75 billion and, by one estimate, made about 4,000 current and former employees millionaires, with roughly 400 now worth more than $100 million (Los Angeles Times). Anthropic filed publicly on October 26 for a listing expected in mid-November (Renaissance Capital), and OpenAI and Databricks are pointing to 2027 (Yahoo Finance; SmartAsset).
For many people in their twenties and thirties, that means tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars in stock, arriving all at once, often before there is a plan. Sudden wealth is easy to spend and hard to rebuild. Our job is to help you lock in part of the win before lifestyle, taxes, and market swings decide for you.
From before the listing through the lock-up and beyond, we work alongside your CPA, attorney, and equity advisors to turn a planned share of your proceeds into physical gold and silver: 100% allocated and segregated in your own account, third-party audited, and verifiable on video or in person.
Vaulting is the goal. A reserve of sound money that no market, bank, or password can take away.
PHASE 1Pre-IPO considerations
Define your number
Before the listing, decide what amount would mean you never have to work again, and what share of your equity you will turn into permanent wealth. Writing it down now protects you from the excitement of a first trading day.
For many clients, a fixed share of every sale goes straight into vaulted metal. That single rule does more to protect a fortune than any market call.
Build your team
An IPO touches tax, legal, and investment decisions at once. Line up a CPA, an estate attorney, and an equity specialist early, and bring the desk in alongside them for the part of your plan that should never depend on a single stock.
Know what you own and when you can act
RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, and founder shares each follow different vesting, exercise, and tax rules. Build a calendar of when shares vest, when you can sell, and when taxes come due, and review it with your CPA. AbreuGold does not provide tax or legal advice.
Open your vault account before the listing
Complete onboarding and identity checks well before the IPO, so that when your first shares can be sold, proceeds can move into allocated metal in days, not weeks. Your account is in your own name, segregated, and audited by an independent third party.
PHASE 2The IPO and the lock-up period
Understand your lock-up
Most IPO lock-ups last about 180 days, and some include early releases tied to the share price (WilmerHale 2026 IPO Report). For a company that listed on June 12, a standard 180-day lock-up would end in early December. Read your own agreement carefully, and plan your first sale before the date arrives.
Plan for the unlock wave
Goldman Sachs estimates that recent and upcoming IPOs could unlock roughly $500 billion in additional shares in 2026, with even more in 2027 (Carson Group, citing Goldman Sachs). When thousands of employees can sell on the same day, prices can move quickly. A plan made in advance keeps you from reacting to the crowd.
Pre-set your first sale
Many insiders use a written trading plan, often a Rule 10b5-1 plan, set up with the company and a broker during an open window. Decide in advance what share of each sale becomes vaulted metal, so it happens automatically.
Hold the line on lifestyle
The fastest way to lose IPO wealth is to spend it before it is real. Hold off on the house, the cars, and the big commitments until your first sale has settled and your reserve is in the vault.
PHASE 3After the lock-up
Take chips off the table on schedule
After the lock-up, sell in planned stages rather than all at once or not at all. Concentration in a single stock is the most common way new wealth disappears.
Vault a set share in physical metal
Convert a defined portion of each sale into gold and silver, 100% allocated and segregated in your own account, third-party audited, and verifiable on video or in person. Vaulting is the goal: sound money that stands outside the stock market, the banking system, and any password.
Coordinate taxes before you sell
Stock sales and later metal sales carry different tax treatment. Physical precious metals are generally taxed as collectibles at a maximum federal rate of 28% on long-term gains (IRS Topic 409). Review timing with your CPA.
Keep verifying, every year
Review your holdings statement, confirm serial numbers, and use video or in-person visits to see your metal. A reserve you can see is a reserve you will keep.
IPO wealth brings new options and new risks. Let's build a plan that keeps part of it forever.
IPO insights for employees
How to manage concentration after an IPO
Read the desk's approach
After the IPO: weather the boom, prepare for the squeeze
Read more
Sudden wealth in your twenties: a plan that lasts
Read more
Why vaulting comes before the house, the car, and the next deal
Read moreInsights and answers for IPO planning
What are the key steps and timeline for IPO planning?
Start six to twelve months before the listing: define your goals, build your team, map your equity, and open your vault account. Plan your first sale before the lock-up ends, then sell and vault in planned stages afterward.
What happens when the IPO lock-up period ends?
Employees and early investors can usually begin selling, subject to trading windows and company policy. Many sell at once, which can move the price. Having a pre-set plan, and a vault account ready, lets you act on your terms.
How should I think about my RSUs, NSOs, ISOs, and PSUs around an IPO?
Each has different rules for vesting, exercise, and taxes, and ISOs can trigger alternative minimum tax. Map each grant with your CPA and equity advisor. Our role is the part of the plan that turns proceeds into lasting, vaulted metal.
What is a 10b5-1 plan, and when should I set one up?
A Rule 10b5-1 plan is a written plan to sell shares on a set schedule, adopted during an open trading window, which can help insiders sell without timing concerns. It is set up with your company and broker, and it pairs well with a fixed share of each sale going to metal.
How much of my IPO proceeds should go into metal?
There is no single number. Many clients choose a fixed share of every sale so the decision is made once, not every time. The desk can help you model a reserve sized to your goals.
Why physical metal instead of more stock or crypto?
Allocated gold stands outside the stock market, the banking system, and the internet. It cannot be diluted, delisted, or hacked, and it can be seen, audited, and delivered. It is the opposite bet to a concentrated tech position, which is exactly why it belongs beside one.
Can I hold metal through a trust or LLC?
Yes. Metal can be titled to you, a trust, or an entity, and stored in segregated accounts in that name. Coordinate titling with your estate attorney.
Get personalized guidance from a desk that answers the phone
Whether you are approaching an IPO or managing life after one, the right plan blends equity, tax, and estate expertise with one piece most plans leave out: wealth that does not depend on the stock you just sold. Our two-person desk brings more than 15 years in the metals industry, a network of world-class vaults, and a custody standard you can verify.
We help you size a metal reserve, schedule purchases around your trading windows, title it correctly, and see it for yourself.
IPO wealth creates new choices and new questions. Let's build a plan that keeps you rich.
