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Netflix has granted board director Strive Masiyiwa 654 non-qualified stock options at an exercise price of $95.55 per share, according to a Form 4 filing submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on April 2, 2026. The options were awarded on April 1 and expire on April 1, 2036, giving Masiyiwa the right to purchase 654 shares of Netflix common stock at the locked-in price over the next decade. Following the grant, he holds 654 derivative securities directly.
The filing represents a routine annual director compensation grant rather than an open market purchase. Non-qualified stock options of this type give the recipient the right to buy shares at a predetermined price at any point before expiration. If Netflix's share price rises above $95.55 over the ten-year window, the options become increasingly valuable. Netflix shares were trading at approximately $980 at the time of the filing, meaning the options carry substantial in-the-money value at grant date.
Masiyiwa, 65, is among Africa's most prominent and globally connected business figures. He founded Econet Wireless in Zimbabwe in the 1990s after a years-long legal battle to secure a mobile operating licence in the face of government resistance, and built the group into one of the continent's most diversified technology and telecommunications empires. He joined the Netflix board in 2020, making him one of a small number of African business leaders to serve on the board of a major US technology company.
His business interests have expanded significantly in recent years. Econet's infrastructure subsidiary, Econet InfraCo, listed on Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls Stock Exchange in March 2026 at a valuation of $1 billion in the largest initial listing in Zimbabwe's capital markets history. His Cassava Technologies arm struck a deal with Circle Internet Group in 2026 to expand USDC stablecoin adoption across Africa. He is also a co-founder of Zaria Group, a firm focused on sports, entertainment and cultural infrastructure on the continent.
Netflix, with a market capitalisation of approximately $403 billion, is one of the world's most valuable entertainment companies. The streaming platform serves more than 300 million subscribers globally and has been expanding aggressively into live sport, advertising and gaming. Masiyiwa's seat on the board gives him direct involvement in the strategic direction of a company whose content and distribution decisions carry significant implications for Africa's growing streaming market, where Netflix competes with local players and aggregators including Econet's own media and distribution assets.
