Long story short, my best friend ( I was literally best man at his wedding) asked if he could join in on the business I was starting. He had his own successful business and was looking to diversify, but also thought I could use the help, which was true. Business struggled to get off the ground for a year and he suggested I quit. I disagreed and kept going. I found out later that he mocked me to our mutual friends behind my back, felt embarrassed for me, didn’t have what it takes blah blah. Out of pity he offered me a job at his company and asked me to close the business as there was no potential.

I said he was free to leave, but I’m going to make it work. I brought in 3 more partners on an equity deal as i believed they had the skills and network I was missing. I had no money so I gave them shares and somehow managed to sell them my dream, the product was good and I knew it. He opposed the decision and chose to resign as director and just remain a shareholder. Refused to do any more “work” for the business , which was basically just introducing me to potential clients (which had mostly ended after year one anyway) I said fine, he was my mate and he did help me with some business acumen in the first months.

I kept working my ass off trying to generate revenue, a truly humbling experience, but I believed in the product. Eventually we got a break through one of the new partners. Best friend could not even muster a smile at the news. Instead started to sabotage the business, tried to convince me that I owed him money for his time, spread rumours about me and the people I was involved with and even sat me down to try and convince me that I was dealing with conmen etc. Did the complete opposite of promoting the business.

I managed to secure a small investment that would really change the game for us, I asked that we share the risk to the value of our equity holding which was the majority on me, his shares had diluted significantly. He was the only one who voted against it. His reason was that I was a delinquent director and was not fit to lead a business (still presented as if he was was mentoring me as a friend). As the only director since he had resigned to avoid liability, I proceeded with the contract and then passed an addendum that stated that all shareholders would share liability for the loan to the value their equity stake. I had a lawyer assist me and make sure everything was perfect legal. The contract was signed by 4 of the 5 of us and he refused, the deal almost had zero chance of failing. I did my utmost to keep it amicable and try understand what the issue was, and he couldn’t give me a solid consistent reason. Told me I should be listening to him to save myself further embarrassment. By this stage I had picked up that there was more to this than business. Finally we were called to the lawyers offices to have a pre-mediation session and things were clearly going to turn ugly from there. So I called him that morning , we hadn’t spoken for a few weeks. I said let’s go have a coffee and sort this out and save our friendship. I reminded him that if we didn’t manage to sort it out between us that the shareholders agreement would come into play as there were now shareholders in the business. He went mad, said all sorts of terrible things and promised he will teach me a lesson. Also added that he refuses to resign and will not be signing the contract. We met at the lawyers that afternoon with all the parties and he had nothing but anger as his defence. He had nothing to say, and one of the lawyers bluntly asked him if he is doing this out of jealousy? To which he left the room. I got a call that evening from him to meet me the following day. He sat down, handed me a resignation letter and a thumb sucked amount for the value of his shares . It was enough money to really screw me over personally he knew it and he had some legal grounds which I couldn’t afford to fight. It was his final stab at the business. I called someone wealthy I knew and explained the situation, and paid him before the sun went down that day. To his surprise. He then went on full character assassination mode, he was an influential character in our city and we shared many friends. I literally lost all but 1 of my so called friends, I lost business and was even accused of theft; collusion and corruption. I won’t lie, it nearly broke me. That motherfucker said he would give me a chance at redemption if I apologise to him, for orchestrating and colluding for his removal from the business.

He humiliated me in many ways, and it just shone a light on our history and I realized he had been doing it for years.

He played victim amongst our friends and often predicted that the business would be dead in a few months. Needless to say it was a tough time.

He phoned me one night to give me the opportunity to explain why I chose to fuck him over and called it an olive branch to save our friendship.

I told him to grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.

I worked myself to the bone and one day a really big fish stumbled into my shop and offered our business an open cheque book. I built my dream store and then 6 more stores, the 7th I built on the same street he lived( great location couldn’t have given it up 😀) He immigrated. We were awarded a contract to build 400 stores.

and one month I “accidentally” sent him our yearly financials, complete mistake not sure how it happened. He never responded though. Weird.

Cherry on the top is that we have been approached by an investment company that is looking for the rights to roll out our brand in the country he fled to. And you can bet your house on the fact that I’m taking it.

When asked if I have forgiven him I say yes with a straight face. I left that in the past. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I owe my success to how much I want to make him regret everything he did, and I hear he’s not taking it well.

This is an absolutely true story and we now have our sites on becoming the biggest player in the world . When we achieve that, I promise to come back and expose my identity with proof.

Until then never underestimate the power of pain and always be wary of who you try to fuck over.

A good ole justice story is always a pleasure to read. Thanks for the post.

This is the content I signed up for!

Your vocabulary is far more extensive than mine but I share a similar belief. We are one of the infinite manifestations of what we call god for lack of a better term. The illusion of separation is a temporary tool to create circumstances that lead to experiences. Infinitely… we are purposely not equipped with the ability to comprehend the infinite, as it would counteract the experience… I know this to be true. But I can’t fathom the why nor how.

lol didn’t even notice

You’re right, but then I would have had to assume everyone believed the same as I do. I thought the more vague idea was better, I’m happy with the variety of answers I’m getting . Congrats on the B tho hehe

I think the metric is different per individual. Progress. I have settled, after years of wonder and experiencing, that we are indeed in a the most incredible classroom. An experience machine. We Temporarily inhabit a meat suit perfectly designed to navigate the machine and initiate the types of experiences that bring about the lessons we have opted to learn. Amnesia of self leads to fear of the unknown, which in turn manifests as a fear of death. It keeps us in the classroom, because if we remembered who we are we would leave at the first sign of discomfort or struggle, and fail to learn anything. Because where we come from is pure satisfaction with no duality, and doesn’t suck. The story of the meat suit is evolution, at some point we just hop into one.

Do you think we have that much effect on the universe?

I enjoyed reading that. Question, do you believe in a god/ architect/ creator? No obligation to answer, I just want to know if someone as rational as yourself believes in the seemingly irrational ( for now)

The designer has a dark sense of humour. First let’s make a thing, then let’s make the best place ever for that thing. Then let’s test the thing to see if it deserves the best place. But before that, let’s make the thing attracted to all the things that will make the thing not deserve the good place. And just to top it off let’s not tell the thing anything about it…. Now we watch.

I don’t even know what that means but I like it.

You’re absolutely correct, but there is no metric. So go on gut feel.

Poetry

deleted by creator

I imagined that most would take a look at the carnage spewed out on media channels and decided to vote more negatively. But the fact that we are still here and still progressing (however slowly) must mean that we are winning somewhat

I have the same opinion about him being better for me at least. My favorite is “Like Janis” which is almost comparable to “Like a Rolling Stone “ in meaning. And I feel that his music ability was superior.

Watch “Searching for Sugar man” But long story short, he made an album, “Cold Fact” in the US in the 70s which flopped, clearly due to poor management. But somehow it made its way to South Africa , New Zealand and Aus. Where he became a legend. He had little to no idea this had happened except for reasonable success in Aus. However in SA he had god status. Someone was cashing in on the sales but it was not him. He was considered a failed musician and worked in construction, with no internet and South Africa being sanctioned for Apartheid this type of thing was possible.

So some fans from SA decided to find out what happened to him, because the guy that many considered a genius was nowhere to be found when the internet did show up. They found him, and basically brought him back from the dead. Got him tours in SA, and other countries and released the film which eventually brought him to the rest of the world.

I was one of the people dumbfounded by why he was nowhere on the net, and people I asked from abroad had no clue. The movie answered a lot of questions. But I think he died broke, or close to it in 2023. Either really unlucky or self sabotage, but nonetheless one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Was honored to see him perform live, my most memorable show of all time. (This was before the movie so I thought I was watching one of the biggest artists in the world, and it felt like he was!)

I’d put him up there with Bob Dylan. Do you know his story?