• An employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) is a type of defined contribution pension plan in which most or all of the assets are invested in employer stock. Contrary to what it sounds like, employees don’t buy company shares individually through the ESOP. Rather, the company contributes shares to the plan, and the plan buys additional shares with loans that the company must repay. (The ability to use this plan provides significant tax benefits.) “Powerful” employees receive payouts when they leave the company.