On the big exits, the early employees are often doing very well, but obviously not those that were employee 1000 or joined a week before the announcement. Founders do better, but that's expected, they also carry much higher risk.

And really, playing the lottery to win a million is still playing the lottery, even if others who spend even more on the lottery are trying to win a billion. Don't want to lose money on the lottery? Don't play it. I don't, and I never get a bad feeling thinking of what else I could've spent that money on.