If he wasn’t planning to leave them all holding the bag after he bolts with whatever he’s already got in his pockets, he would just buy the stock from his employees. Instead he’s trying to buy time before the crash to squeeze as much as he possibly can out of them.
If the company you work for is bought by Alpine Investments, get a lawyer. Especially if you’re a woman or expect severance when they ditch you.
“Trade in” like theres a dealership willing to give you some kind of fair value for your old computer. That said, if you’re willing to be extorted by Microsoft, then you get what you have coming to you.
Who is she going to call when they close that office and fire all the staff?