legaljanie
Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
241%
- Aug 1, 2018
- 22
- 53
I started a business early this year and my partner was not supportive. It was a software platform that helped in his area of business. He is a doctor.
So i suggested he might be willing to help me market it and sell it. He said no. He was very rude and said he would never be “my bitch”.
So i got it off the ground myself and got very lucky to find an investor for a small portion. That was when my fiance got interested. He then he started giving advice. He offered valuable information and it helped me and my investor/developer. But then he began demanding to be in meetings w my developer. He said it was OUR business. (The legal documents only list me and i did that on purpose).
He became threatening and during arguments said he COULD sue me after the fight he would say he would never do that, but I should be aware that he COULd.
My developer/investor (one in the same) backed out and said that it was mainly because of my fiance. He felt that I should have told him more about our level of romantic involvement up front and that he was not comfortable with the fact that HE noticed my fiance positioning himself as part owner of the company. He is gone. He said NO MORE. My fiance blamed me and suggested that I went to him and secretly told him that he was threatening to sue...and that scared him off. But that's not the case. I never said a word, because I knew that would have been a red flag.
Well i started getting meetings for NEW investors. I took him to the first meeting and he explained why it was so good in his area of expertise. He took over the meeting and then later told me that no one would invest because i looked pissed off and i look like drama.
They did ask who owns the business and i said i do.
Fortunately i got a second meeting. I asked who they wanted at that meeting. They said it was just an intro meeting to more investors so just me was fine.
My partner went batshit crazy. I got that text about 45 minutes before and i told him it was ok. He was going to drive with me anyway downtown. He could just drop me off like he always does.
He was mad. Very mad. He said that i am showing my true colors. And they aren’t pretty. That I only praise the almighty God of money. I don’t respect him or the relationship. That I am money hungry and he thinks I will leave him once i get the funding. He said he will no longer help me. And he may even cancel some of the things he already did for me.
He said i should have mandated that he is in the meeting because we are a team. (Which he says i don’t understand the definition of) Ans he screamed and yelled at me until he dropped me.
He said “guarantee you fail”. I said wow. Thanks. He said that i can’t explain like he can in his area of expertise and that I make mistakes.
He said “good luck cause this is going to need every ounce”.
I went in. I was flustered but i did ok. I got a third meeting.
When i came out he just kept yelling. Said he won’t help me anymore. And that since i won’t put his name on the company it looks really bad. That anyone with 2 cents would know that I didn’t accomplish this myself. (Since he has expertise in the field that my software serves)
He said life with me is not fun. That all i do is argue. (He was the one arguing!) and that i should make a decision because he’s so sick of my behavior.
I had always said why do you need your name on legal docs when we are supposed to be married? He said great. Now you are blackmailing me into marrying you? Either you marry me or you get nothing?!
I just happened to look at an email on his phone today that he sent to a colleague of his == trying to help "me" get into a new sector. The problem is this email -- he tells this "friend" of BOTH of ours -- that WE started this business together and that WE are doing outreach. He says it's "OUR" business.
So it's clear...that he is indeed positioning himself as partner or co founder....and my investor/developer was right. He is trying to state that it's "his" business too.
What would you do? He feels he has helped so much...and that while I paid him 1k a month as a consultant...it's not enough for him...
I asked him how much equity he wants. he wouldn't commit. I said 3%? 5%? He said no....and he wouldn't sign an NDA or any documents that prevent him future ownership.
So i suggested he might be willing to help me market it and sell it. He said no. He was very rude and said he would never be “my bitch”.
So i got it off the ground myself and got very lucky to find an investor for a small portion. That was when my fiance got interested. He then he started giving advice. He offered valuable information and it helped me and my investor/developer. But then he began demanding to be in meetings w my developer. He said it was OUR business. (The legal documents only list me and i did that on purpose).
He became threatening and during arguments said he COULD sue me after the fight he would say he would never do that, but I should be aware that he COULd.
My developer/investor (one in the same) backed out and said that it was mainly because of my fiance. He felt that I should have told him more about our level of romantic involvement up front and that he was not comfortable with the fact that HE noticed my fiance positioning himself as part owner of the company. He is gone. He said NO MORE. My fiance blamed me and suggested that I went to him and secretly told him that he was threatening to sue...and that scared him off. But that's not the case. I never said a word, because I knew that would have been a red flag.
Well i started getting meetings for NEW investors. I took him to the first meeting and he explained why it was so good in his area of expertise. He took over the meeting and then later told me that no one would invest because i looked pissed off and i look like drama.
They did ask who owns the business and i said i do.
Fortunately i got a second meeting. I asked who they wanted at that meeting. They said it was just an intro meeting to more investors so just me was fine.
My partner went batshit crazy. I got that text about 45 minutes before and i told him it was ok. He was going to drive with me anyway downtown. He could just drop me off like he always does.
He was mad. Very mad. He said that i am showing my true colors. And they aren’t pretty. That I only praise the almighty God of money. I don’t respect him or the relationship. That I am money hungry and he thinks I will leave him once i get the funding. He said he will no longer help me. And he may even cancel some of the things he already did for me.
He said i should have mandated that he is in the meeting because we are a team. (Which he says i don’t understand the definition of) Ans he screamed and yelled at me until he dropped me.
He said “guarantee you fail”. I said wow. Thanks. He said that i can’t explain like he can in his area of expertise and that I make mistakes.
He said “good luck cause this is going to need every ounce”.
I went in. I was flustered but i did ok. I got a third meeting.
When i came out he just kept yelling. Said he won’t help me anymore. And that since i won’t put his name on the company it looks really bad. That anyone with 2 cents would know that I didn’t accomplish this myself. (Since he has expertise in the field that my software serves)
He said life with me is not fun. That all i do is argue. (He was the one arguing!) and that i should make a decision because he’s so sick of my behavior.
I had always said why do you need your name on legal docs when we are supposed to be married? He said great. Now you are blackmailing me into marrying you? Either you marry me or you get nothing?!
I just happened to look at an email on his phone today that he sent to a colleague of his == trying to help "me" get into a new sector. The problem is this email -- he tells this "friend" of BOTH of ours -- that WE started this business together and that WE are doing outreach. He says it's "OUR" business.
So it's clear...that he is indeed positioning himself as partner or co founder....and my investor/developer was right. He is trying to state that it's "his" business too.
What would you do? He feels he has helped so much...and that while I paid him 1k a month as a consultant...it's not enough for him...
I asked him how much equity he wants. he wouldn't commit. I said 3%? 5%? He said no....and he wouldn't sign an NDA or any documents that prevent him future ownership.
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