A little bit of both is my guess

Probably a mix of both but regardless the things described are clearly cherry picked examples. The cases where employees are given stock options in companies that have subsequently failed are not mentioned! Most employers do not give employees stock options and the free market will never provide wealth and security for the majority of workers because it is not in the interests of most businesses to do that in an entirely free market economy. It is only because of organised labour that workers have some of the benefits and security they enjoy today.