There are also less obvious ways to unlock cash, instead of just selling (you might not want to do that, because you believe your stock is undervalued or you wa

There are also less obvious ways to unlock cash, instead of just selling (you might not want to do that, because you believe your stock is undervalued or you want to retain control of your company, etc). For example: let's say you own $500m worth of Google stock. Google stock compounds pretty well at the moment. Interest rates are low, around 1-2% per year. You can borrow $200m quite easily by using your existing stock as collateral. That money could then be reinvested again in a low fee S&P fund and in some individual stocks, generating you a 10% yield per annum. 10% - 2% = 8% of annual gains, or $16m per year.