There are a few types of acquisition:

- everyone gets rich (including employees with equity)

- founders and investors get rich, nobody else gets shit

- investors get good return, founders get a bit, nobody else gets shit

- investors make mediocre return based on liquidation pref, nobody else gets shit

- nobody gets shit (but people keep their jobs in the acquirer)

In all but the first situation, you as an employee (even a high-up one) are basically being sold to another company without any upside, and whether or not you want to stay will depend 100% what you think about the acquirer.