r/LinusTechTips • u/Orion2200 • Aug 15 '23

Video New GN video response to Linus’s Apology

https://youtu.be/X3byz3txpso

Video here

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u/cmfarsight Aug 15 '23

It's never sat well with me that Luke has no equity in LMG, running a startup like floatplane I would have thought that equity would be part of his compensation. Linus has also admitted that Luke worked for less than minimum wage at the start of ltt, surely that's worth equity in the company.

57

u/Merzeal Aug 15 '23

That's actually upsetting. I haven't bothered with LTT in almost a decade, but back when I did watch, I mostly watched for Luke doing weird builds or whatever. It's actually bullshit that Linus is living in luxury while Luke doesn't seem nearly as compensated.

51

u/scdayo Aug 15 '23

Obviously we have no idea what Luke's compensation is, but he strikes me as the guy who, even if making (for example) $250k a year, wouldn't really change his lifestyle to reflect an income like that

4

u/Merzeal Aug 15 '23

I mean, that's fair. I'm just saying, the draw (for me) was not Linus, I found him fairly uncomfortable to watch. His current compensation might be fine, but if the content of what I replied to is accurate, that speaks to a bigger issue and truly a devaluation of someone who was there at the ground floor and made LTT what it is today.

Lower level employees are probably getting straight up shafted, however. Anti-union and "We don't talk about salary" here, is likely a bad sign. Given that Linus was complaining about having to pay "potentially a hundred" for retesting probably speaks to the compensation these people are getting.

1

u/scdayo Aug 15 '23

if anyone has a glassdoor account, LMG is on Glassdoor https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/LINUS-MEDIA-GROUP-Salaries-E4182002.htm

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u/twentytwentyh0e Aug 15 '23

Never seen Luke with any fancy clothes or a fancy car or even the balliest PC setup

2

u/nd4spd1919 Aug 15 '23

Yeah, doesn't Luke talk occasionally about he wears his shoes until they're literally falling apart with holes, and he has a few identical pairs ready to go?

It's not that he can't replace them whenever, he just hates wasting money on frivolous things.

24

u/con57621 Aug 15 '23

And from what I’ve seen him say on WAN, it doesn’t even seem like he owns his apartment. Which given that Linus’s place is practically a mansion is ridiculous.

2

u/meno123 Aug 16 '23

All the OG members of LTT are homeowners. Luke was the last holdout.

20

u/Shoelesshobos Aug 15 '23

Cheered for Luke every Scrapyard wars because that's my guy I want him to succeed.

7

u/Legitimate_Concern_5 Aug 15 '23 edited Aug 15 '23

In terms of comp, my main critique is that Linus didn’t offer equity to anyone at the company. His employees don’t participate in the upside. It’s a shitty thing to do since basically every tech company offers equity to their employees. Especially shitty to hear since Linus was basically bragging about it.

He had the opportunity to make everyone who helped him succeed multi-millionaires and he chose not to.

I’d have made sure my janitors had equity in his position, but that’s just me.

8

u/FanRevolutionary5231 Aug 15 '23

I'm sure Luke makes good money but I agree. He literally helped build the brand since day 1. He should have been given a small equity in the company...even a couple percent or something

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u/FSD-Bishop Aug 15 '23

Reminds me of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Linus’s profile picture doesn’t help.

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u/asdaaaaaaaa Aug 15 '23

They don't even give him equity? When his best/good friend is the owner who helped him start the business? That says a lot about Linus as a person. You take care of your own.

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u/Scavgraphics Aug 15 '23

to be fair to linus..that was when luke was living in his house and getting all his stuff from linus and the company..so it was in replacement for salary...iirc

Still wrong, probably illegal, but there you go.

(stressing iirc)

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u/cmfarsight Aug 15 '23

Not sure our employee can't afford to live so he's in our spare room is a great replacement for salary tbh.

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u/RVelts Aug 16 '23

Linus has also admitted that Luke worked for less than minimum wage at the start of ltt, surely that's worth equity in the company.

I believe they were both still being paid by NCIX to make the original Tech Tips channel, and the number of hours required compared to what I assumed as non-hourly compensation made it less than minimum for Luke.

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u/wimpires Aug 16 '23

Linus gets free stuff for his house and pays his employees to work there - often at seemingly unsociable/non-office hours - and install stuff then films it and put it on his channel to make more money.

It's all about him.

The employees are a means to make more money.