Since we're talking context here, I think it might be important to assess the various possible contexts: - recent historical labor slavery (predominantly but n

Since we're talking context here, I think it might be important to assess the various possible contexts: - recent historical labor slavery (predominantly but not exclusively race based, US focus) - modern labor slavery (less common in the US than other parts of the world) - sex slavery (with a debate over when sex work counts) - "wage slavery": being in a position where you must work to sustain yourself, without an expectation of receiving compensation based on the value you create Wage slavery is not an uncommon phrase, and you see it bandied about on HN semi-regularly, especially whenever the topic of universal basic income comes up. I would peg wage slavery as the closest context for analogy, though it's not perfect; in this case, the startup CEO is working predominantly for equity in the hopes that the equity will eventually be worth more than if they had taken a standard salary.