I'm pretty sure these warrants to Company employees are zero cost warrants meaning they don't pay anything. They just get the premium If they exercise. It's the market that ultimately pays both the Company and its execs. But this is typical.

However, this should have been done AFTER material events have been publicly confirmed, not during a run up to it. Oh well, greed drives capitalism so I won't complain so long as I get mine next week/month.