Employee lump-sums on company buy-out

The small privately owned software house that I work for has been bought out for a considerable sum.

Some employees got lump-sums, some didn't, and the payoffs are being kept quiet. Those that got paid had made a mixture of verbal agreements with the owner over the years, and he honoured them.

Obviously I'm not one of them, but I'm peeved off.

Any advice? ...go home and drown my sorrows?

Were any/all of the employees who benefited shareholders?
Did you have any verbal agreement such as the ones honoured?
Does your contract of employment have anything about this sort of situation?
I doubt that there's much that you can do to be honest.