Like in early Apple, Steve Wozniak did most of the work, Steve Jobs took most of the credit for the work.
Like in early Microsoft Paul Allen did most of the work that Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer took credit for. I think when Paul Allen got sick, they tried to screw him out of his stock, but he got it back and sold some of it to invest in other companies.
But yes most billion dollar empires have leaders that screwed over or tried to screw over their friends for more money. Mark Zuckerberg stole code and had to pay $20M to twin developers, but only paid after the billions he made in the IPO of Facebook. By then $20M was chump change.
But society, history, does not keep track of the backstabbings, only the successes.
While I feel for Frank, I also have to question our cultural notion that founders deserve seemingly unlimited entitlement. Hell, with copyright laws, we enshrine this until well after death.
It's great that our system allowed Frank to become a rich man for having a great idea, but my impression from that piece is that it's been the rest of the team that's brought the execution and adaptability in recent years. At some point, more is required of him to continue to deserve the sort of vast wealth he feels his namesake company owes him, particularly if they can maintain the value of the company without him.
The other interesting part of the article to me is how it highlights how important interactions between human beings are. Clearly, the personal is getting in the way of good business. But it always does. I think it really pays to be someone who can be emotionally generous even when you feel like the other person doesn't deserve it.
5 comments
[ 2.4 ms ] story [ 18.5 ms ] threadHmmm, I guess they don't know how hard Disney screwed his best friend Ub Iwerks.
In the end it's business acumen that wins these battles, a bitter pill to swallow, perhaps, for the true believer in skill and talent winning through.
Like in early Microsoft Paul Allen did most of the work that Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer took credit for. I think when Paul Allen got sick, they tried to screw him out of his stock, but he got it back and sold some of it to invest in other companies.
I think after Steve Wozniak left Apple, he got rights to the original Apple 1 IP and allowed them to build a Replica 1 based on it: http://www.brielcomputers.com/wordpress/?cat=17
But yes most billion dollar empires have leaders that screwed over or tried to screw over their friends for more money. Mark Zuckerberg stole code and had to pay $20M to twin developers, but only paid after the billions he made in the IPO of Facebook. By then $20M was chump change.
But society, history, does not keep track of the backstabbings, only the successes.
It's great that our system allowed Frank to become a rich man for having a great idea, but my impression from that piece is that it's been the rest of the team that's brought the execution and adaptability in recent years. At some point, more is required of him to continue to deserve the sort of vast wealth he feels his namesake company owes him, particularly if they can maintain the value of the company without him.
The other interesting part of the article to me is how it highlights how important interactions between human beings are. Clearly, the personal is getting in the way of good business. But it always does. I think it really pays to be someone who can be emotionally generous even when you feel like the other person doesn't deserve it.