This is clearly also for someone smarter and more knowledgeable than me to figure out, but does Google benefit by creating a clearer and more consistent valuation of stock option grants for GAAP expense purposes? Particularly if the transaction changes the exercise date and thereby lowers the option value, Google may be able to reduce their "on paper" expense line for employee comp.

The lack of transferability of the employee options does not strike me as a big issue for major financial institutions. It is easy for them to buy or sell 'normal' market options in such a way that effectively transfers the employee options (i.e., covers the option to buy perfectly with an option to sell), while saving Google the paperwork of trying to figure out who owns any given options contract.

Now that Time has declared 'You" as the Person of the Year, the wisdom of the crowds is obviously correct and the crowds say Google is fab.

Well no, Time has a pretty good track record of picking people past their peak.

Now there's an opportunity.