According to Business Insider, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin has introduced a new equity incentive plan to address employee dissatisfaction with its previous stock option program. Previously, Blue Origin's old equity incentive plan was ineffective, leaving employees unable to derive tangible benefits, while competitors like SpaceX enabled their employees to accumulate substantial wealth through equity incentives. The new plan sets an exercise benchmark price of $9.50 per share and adopts a cash settlement model, where employees will receive direct cash differences upon triggering liquidity events. Additionally, the new plan expands the scope of 'liquidity events' that can trigger payouts, adding scenarios such as external funding rounds and tender offers. However, the new plan includes an unusual non-compete clause, stipulating that employees who join competitors within 18 months of departure will forfeit all stock options—though this clause is not applicable in California and Washington due to legal restrictions. Blue Origin is All-out sprint (making a full-scale push for) the launch of its 'New Glenn' rocket and competing for NASA's lunar lander development contract. The adjustment to its equity incentive plan is seen as a direct defense against rumors of SpaceX's impending public listing.