v3.25.4
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
11. Stock-Based Compensation Expense
2004 Incentive Stock Plan
In 2004, the Company approved the 2004 Incentive Stock Plan (the “2004 Plan”), under which the Board of Directors may grant incentive stock options to employees and nonstatutory stock options to employees, members of the Board of Directors and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries.
Under the 2004 Plan, incentive stock options and nonstatutory stock options may be granted at a price not less than fair value and 85% of the fair value, respectively (110% of fair value for incentive stock options granted to holders of 10% or more of voting stock). Fair value is determined by the Board of Directors. Options are exercisable over periods not to exceed 10 years (five years for incentive stock options granted to holders of 10% or more of the voting stock) from the date of grant.
The 2004 Plan was terminated on the effective date of the 2017 Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan, and accordingly, no shares are available for issuance under the 2004 Plan. The 2004 Plan continues to govern outstanding awards granted thereunder.
2017 Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan
In 2017, the Company approved the 2017 Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”), under which the Board of Directors may grant incentive stock options to employees and nonstatutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, and RSUs, to employees, members of the Board of Directors and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries.
Under the 2017 Plan, stock options may be granted at a price not less than fair value (110% of fair value for incentive stock options issued to holders of 10% or more of voting stock). Stock appreciation rights may be granted at a price not less than fair value. Fair value is determined by the Board of Directors. Options are exercisable over periods not to exceed 10 years (five years for incentive stock options granted to holders of 10% or more of the voting stock) from the date of grant.
In connection with the Direct Listing, the 2017 Plan was terminated effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the 2020 Plan, and accordingly, no shares are available for issuance under the 2017 Plan. The 2017 Plan continues to govern outstanding awards granted thereunder.
2020 Plan
In 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted, and its stockholders approved, the 2020 Plan, which became effective on the business day immediately prior to the effective date of the registration statement for the Company’s Direct Listing. Under the 2020 Plan, the Board of Directors may grant incentive stock options to employees and stock appreciation rights, RSAs, and RSUs, performance units and performance shares to employees, members of the Board of Directors and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries.
Under the 2020 Plan, incentive stock options, nonstatutory stock options, and stock appreciation rights may be granted at a price not less than 100% of the fair market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant (110% of fair value for incentive stock options issued to holders of 10% or more of voting stock). Options and stock appreciation rights are exercisable over a period not to exceed 10 years (five years for incentive stock options granted to holders of 10% or more of the voting stock) from the date of grant.
Under the 2020 Plan, 60.0 million shares of Class A common stock were initially reserved for future issuance. The number of shares of Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under the 2020 Plan automatically increases on January 1 of each year by the least of (i) 75.0 million shares; (ii) five percent (5%) of the outstanding shares of all classes of the Company’s common stock as of December 31 of the preceding fiscal year; or (iii) a number of shares that may be determined by the Company’s Board of Directors. Stock-based awards under the 2020 Plan that expire or are forfeited, cancelled, or repurchased generally are returned to the pool of shares of Class A common stock available for issuance under the 2020 Plan. In addition, subject to the adjustment provisions of the 2020 Plan, the shares reserved for issuance under the 2020 Plan also include (i) any shares that, as of the day immediately prior to the effective date of the registration statement, have been reserved but not issued pursuant to any awards granted under the 2017 Plan and are not subject to any awards thereunder and (ii) any shares subject to stock options, RSUs or similar awards granted under the 2017 Plan and 2004 Plan that, after the effective date of the registration statement, expire or otherwise terminate without having been exercised or issued in full, are tendered to or withheld by the Company for payment of an exercise price or for tax withholding obligations, or are forfeited to or repurchased by the Company due to failure to vest.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
In 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted, and its stockholders approved, the 2020 ESPP, which became effective in connection with the Direct Listing. The 2020 ESPP authorizes the issuance of shares of common stock pursuant to purchase rights granted to employees. At inception, 6.0 million shares of the Company’s Class A common stock were reserved for future issuance under the 2020 ESPP. The number of shares of Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under the 2020 ESPP automatically increases on January 1 of each year by the least of (i) 15.0 million shares; (ii) one percent (1%) of the outstanding shares of all classes of the Company’s common stock as of December 31 of the preceding fiscal year; or (iii) a number of shares that may be determined by the Company’s Board of Directors
The 2020 ESPP is a compensatory plan and includes two components: a component that allows the Company to make offerings intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”) and a component that allows the Company to make offerings not intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Code. Subject to any limitations contained therein, the 2020 ESPP allows eligible employees to contribute (in the form of payroll deductions or otherwise to the extent permitted by the administrator) an amount established by the administrator from time to time in its discretion to purchase Class A common stock at a discounted price per share. The price at which Class A common stock is purchased under the 2020 ESPP is equal to 85% of the fair market value of a share of the Company’s Class A common stock on the enrollment date or exercise date, whichever is lower. Offering periods are generally 24 months long and begin on the first trading day on or after February 25 and August 25 of each year with each offering period having four purchase periods of approximately six months each.
Stock-based compensation expense
Stock-based compensation expense was as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
202520242023
Infrastructure and trust & safety
$142,353 $113,708 $92,147 
Research and development
764,124 723,326 607,593 
General and administrative
172,373 138,444 131,577 
Sales and marketing
50,154 40,316 36,650 
Total stock-based compensation expense
$1,129,004 $1,015,794 $867,967 
Stock Options
The following table summarizes the Company’s stock option activity (in thousands, except per option data and remaining contractual term):
Stock Options Outstanding
Number of
Shares
Subject to
Options
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price (per Option)
Weighted-Average Remaining
Contractual
Term
(Years)
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Balances as of December 31, 2022
51,591 $2.85 6.00$1,321,183 
Granted
— — 
Cancelled, forfeited, and expired
(762)$4.60 
Exercised
(10,670)$2.23 
Balances as of December 31, 2023
40,159 $2.98 5.16$1,716,171 
Granted
— — 
Cancelled, forfeited, and expired
(203)$4.80 
Exercised
(12,498)$2.75 
Balances as of December 31, 2024
27,458 $3.08 4.24$1,504,261 
Granted
— — 
Cancelled, forfeited, and expired
(14)$5.21 
Exercised
(18,266)$2.80 
Balances as of December 31, 2025
9,178 $3.64 3.07$710,292 
Exercisable as of December 31, 2025
9,178 $3.64 3.07$710,292 
Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2025
9,178 $3.64 3.07$710,292 
The aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 was $1,513.1 million, $530.0 million, and $373.4 million, respectively. Aggregate intrinsic value represents the difference between the exercise price of the options and the estimated fair value of the Company’s Class A common stock at the time of exercise. The aggregate grant-date fair value of options that vested during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 was $2.8 million, $23.5 million, and $51.9 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2025, all of the Company’s stock options are fully vested.
RSUs and PSUs
The following table summarizes the Company’s RSU and PSU activity, excluding the 2024 CEO PSU Award, which is described in more detail in the following section (in thousands, except per share data):
Unvested RSUs Outstanding(1)
Unvested Management PSUs Outstanding(2)
Number of
Shares
Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Value (per Share)
Number of
Shares
Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Value (per Share)
Unvested as of December 31, 2022
30,322 $48.73 415 $43.13 
Granted
27,377 $37.59 724 $45.70 
Vested
(14,812)$45.97 — — 
Cancelled(3,041)$46.79 (234)$44.99 
Unvested as of December 31, 2023
39,846 $42.25 905 $44.71 
Granted
22,604 $40.54 706 $41.32 
Vested
(21,241)$42.83 — — 
Cancelled(6,268)$40.68 (200)$44.78 
Unvested as of December 31, 2024
34,941 $41.07 1,411 $43.00 
Granted
15,361 $85.13 1,261 $57.91 
Vested
(22,008)$46.43 (224)$45.70 
Cancelled(3,770)$42.81 (622)$46.48 
Unvested as of December 31, 2025
24,524 $63.59 1,826 $51.78 
(1)As of both December 31, 2025 and 2024, 0.1 million RSUs have vested, but not yet been released, under the Company's nonqualified deferred compensation plan and therefore are not considered outstanding.
(2)Includes PSUs granted to certain members of management (the “Management PSUs”) in each of the years 2022 through 2025 and excludes the 2024 CEO PSU Award, which is described in more detail below. All unvested PSU grants and balances are shown at the aggregate maximum number of shares that were granted and may be earned and issued with respect to each award over its full term (up through any applicable cancellation). Stock-based compensation expense recognized related to the Management PSUs was $43.8 million, $17.7 million, and $9.6 million during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $1,437.4 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over the weighted-average remaining requisite service period of 1.7 years.
RSUs granted subsequent to the Direct Listing only have service conditions, which historically have been satisfied generally over four years. For grants made subsequent to July 2022, the service condition is satisfied generally over three years.
The Management PSUs include awards with financial performance-based targets and market performance-based targets. For Management PSUs with financial performance-based targets, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense based upon the per-share grant date fair value on an accelerated attribution method over the requisite service period of each separately vesting tranche. At each reporting period, the amount of stock-based compensation expense is determined based on the probability of achievement against the pre-established performance measures and if necessary, a cumulative catch-up adjustment is recorded to reflect any revised estimates regarding the probability of achievement. The stock-based compensation expense associated with market performance-based Management PSUs was not material to any of the periods presented. The Management PSUs have service conditions which are generally satisfied over a period between two and three years.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $43.5 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to the Management PSUs, which is expected to be recognized over the weighted-average remaining requisite service period of 1.6 years.
CEO PSU and RSUs
CEO Long-Term Performance Award
In February 2021, the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee granted a PSU award (the “CEO Long-Term Performance Award”) under the 2017 Plan, which provided the Company’s CEO the opportunity to earn a maximum number of 11,500,000 shares of Class A common stock. The CEO Long-Term Performance Award would have vested upon the satisfaction of a service condition and achievement of certain Class A common stock price targets over five years. On March 1, 2024, the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee approved the cancellation of the CEO-Long Term Performance Award, as further discussed below. The Class A common stock price targets were not achieved and therefore no shares vested under the CEO Long-Term Performance Award prior to its cancellation.
The CEO Long-Term Performance Award would have been eligible to vest based upon the satisfaction of a service condition and achievement of certain Class A common stock price targets (referred to as a “Company Stock Price Hurdle”) over various performance periods, with the first performance period beginning two years after the Effective Date and ending on the seventh anniversary of the Effective Date. The CEO Long-Term Performance Award was divided into seven performance periods that were eligible to vest based on the achievement of various Company Stock Price Hurdles, measured based on an average of the Company’s stock price over a consecutive 90-day trading period applicable to the performance period. In addition, Mr. Baszucki must have remained employed as the Company’s CEO through the date a Company Stock Price Hurdle was achieved in order to earn the awards that relate to the applicable Company Stock Price Hurdle. The following table summarizes the various Company Stock Price Hurdles and associated awards that would have been eligible to vest over each performance period (in thousands, except Company Stock Price Hurdles):
Company Stock Price Hurdle
Number of Awards Eligible to Vest
Performance Period Commencement Dates as Measured from the Effective Date
1$165.00 750 2 years
2$200.00 750 3 years
3$235.00 2,000 4 years
4$270.00 2,000 5 years
5$305.00 2,000 5 years
6$340.00 2,000 5 years
7$375.00 2,000 5 years
The Company estimated the grant date fair value of the CEO Long-Term Performance Award using a model based on multiple stock price outcomes developed through the use of a Monte Carlo simulation that incorporates into the valuation the possibility that the Company Stock Price Hurdles may not be satisfied. A Monte Carlo simulation model requires use of various assumptions, including the underlying stock price, volatility, the risk-free interest rate as of the valuation date corresponding to the length of time remaining in the performance period, and expected dividend yield. The weighted-average grant date fair value of the CEO Long-Term Performance Award was estimated to be $20.19 per share, and the Company estimated that as of the grant date, it would have recognized total stock-based compensation expense of approximately $232.2 million over the derived service period of each of the seven separate tranches which was between 3.45 – 5.38 years, using the accelerated attribution method.
2024 CEO PSUs and RSUs
On March 1, 2024 (the “Modification Date”), the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee concurrently (i) approved the cancellation of the CEO Long-Term Performance Award and (ii) granted Mr. Baszucki a new PSU award (the “2024 CEO PSU Award”) and RSU award (collectively, the “2024 CEO Award”), which was determined to represent a modification of the CEO Long-Term Performance Award.
As of the Modification Date, total subsequent stock-based compensation expense to be recognized was measured as (i) the remaining unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to the grant date fair value of the CEO Long-Term Performance Award of $84.4 million and (ii) the incremental fair value resulting from the modification, if any. To estimate the incremental fair value resulting from the modification (if any), the Company first estimated the fair value of the modified CEO Long-Term Performance Award immediately prior to the Modification Date using a model based on multiple stock price outcomes developed through the use of a Monte Carlo simulation that incorporated into the valuation the possibility that the stock price targets may not be satisfied. A Monte Carlo simulation model requires the use of various assumptions, including the underlying stock price, volatility, the risk-free interest rate as of the valuation date corresponding to the length of time remaining in the performance period, and expected dividend yield. On the Modification Date, the estimated fair value of the CEO Long-Term Performance Award immediately prior to the modification was greater than the estimated fair value of the 2024 CEO Award (which was generally estimated based on the Modification Date fair value of the Class A common stock underlying the 2024 CEO Award, with consideration of the probability of achievement against the pre-established performance measures). As a result, the modification did not result in any incremental stock-based compensation expense and therefore, as of the Modification Date, total subsequent stock-based compensation expense to be recognized totaled $84.4 million. Of the total estimated stock-based compensation expense, 75% of the value was allocated to the 2024 CEO PSU Award with the remaining 25% allocated to the RSUs, based on the relative value of the two awards on the Modification Date.
Under the 2024 CEO PSU Award, the number of shares earned ranged from 0% to 200% of the target number of shares based on the Company’s performance against two independent performance measures relative to pre-established thresholds during a two-year performance period that ended on December 31, 2025. The two independent performance measures were the Company’s cumulative (i) bookings during the performance period, as defined in the grant agreement with the CEO and (ii) Adjusted EBITDA during the performance period, which correlates to the covenant Adjusted EBITDA calculation used in certain covenant calculations specified in the Indenture (the “PSU Adjusted EBITDA”). Further, the awards are subject to Mr. Baszucki’s continuous service with the Company through each vesting date. In the first quarter of 2026, 67% of the award earned will vest and the remaining 33% of the award earned will vest in four equal quarterly installments thereafter beginning in the second quarter of 2026. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense for the 2024 CEO PSU Award on an accelerated attribution method over the requisite service period of each separately vesting tranche. Actual performance against the pre-established thresholds under the 2024 CEO PSU Award has no impact on the subsequent stock-based compensation expense recognized.
The target number of the 2024 CEO PSU Award was 446,534 in aggregate, with 80% of the target number of shares allocated to the cumulative bookings performance measure and 20% of the target number of shares allocated to the cumulative PSU Adjusted EBITDA performance measure. Based on actual performance through the end of the performance period ending on December 31, 2025, a total of 893,068 shares were earned under the 2024 CEO PSU Award, subject to Mr. Baszucki's continuous employment through the required vesting dates.
The Company recorded $29.3 million of stock-based compensation expense related to the 2024 CEO PSU Award during the year ended December 31, 2025 within general and administrative expenses. The Company recorded $32.6 million of stock-based compensation expense related to the 2024 CEO PSU Award and CEO Long-Term Performance Award, in total, during the year ended December 31, 2024 within general and administrative expenses. The Company recorded $48.9 million of stock-based compensation expense related to the CEO Long-Term Performance Award during the year ended December 31, 2023 within general and administrative expenses. Unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to the 2024 CEO PSU Award was $9.4 million as of December 31, 2025, which is expected to be recognized over the remaining derived service period of each respective tranche.
Under the 2024 CEO Award, Mr. Baszucki was granted 148,844 RSUs which will vest quarterly over a three-year service period beginning March 1, 2024, subject to Mr. Baszucki’s continued service with the Company on each vesting date.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
The following table presents the assumptions used in estimating the grant date fair value of purchase rights granted under the 2020 ESPP for the offerings made in the respective years including reset and rollover:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 202520242023
Risk-free interest rate3.7%-4.3%3.9%-5.3%4.8%-5.6%
Expected volatility45.1%-50.6%44.4%-76.1%47.9%-76.0%
Dividend yield—%—%—%
Expected terms (in years)0.50-2.000.50-2.000.49-2.00
The Company recorded $15.6 million, $18.5 million, and $32.0 million of stock-based compensation expense related to the 2020 ESPP during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.