My Brother Mocked My “Broke” Artsy Life At His $140k Wedding. He Didn’t Realize I Own 81% Of His Company, And I Just Fired Him The Morning After. Am I The Jerk For Ending His Career During His Honeymoon?
I said quietly.
*”It’s my company. I own 81% of voting shares. You own 12%. The remaining 7% is distributed among smaller investors. I have controlling interest, Marcus. I always have.”*
He stared at me, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
*”So what? You’re going to fire me? Take over as CEO? You don’t know anything about running a venture capital firm.”*
*”You’re right,”*
I agreed.
*”Which is why I’m not taking over as CEO. Richard has agreed to step in as interim CEO while we conduct a national search for someone with actual experience in venture capital management.”*
*”No!”*
Marcus stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.
*”No, absolutely not! This is my firm! I built this!”*
*”You pitched the idea,”*
I corrected.
*”I funded it, and you’ve been running it into the ground for six months.”*
*”I won’t accept this! I’ll fight you! I’ll sue for—”*
*”For what?”*
Patricia interrupted.
*”Miss Hartley is the majority shareholder exercising her legal rights. You signed operating agreements that explicitly allow for CEO replacement by majority vote.”*
*”The board votes seven to zero in favor of your removal. Effective immediately.”*
Marcus looked at each board member in turn. None of them met his eyes.
*”James,”*
he said desperately, turning to his new father-in-law.
*”You can’t let this happen. We’re family now.”*
James shifted uncomfortably.
*”Marcus, I’m a fiduciary board member. I have a legal obligation to act in the company’s best interests, not personal interests. The financial reports are concerning. The fraudulent investor communication is potentially criminal. I don’t have a choice.”*
*”So that’s it?”*
Marcus’ voice cracked.
*”After everything I’ve done, everything I’ve built… my own sister destroys it all.”*
*”I’m not destroying anything,”*
I said.
*”I’m saving it. You’re a smart guy, Marcus. But you’re not ready to run a venture capital firm. You need more experience, more humility, more willingness to listen to people who know better than you.”*
*”People like you?”*
he spat.
*”My little sister who lived in a dump in Brooklyn and couldn’t figure out Etsy shipping costs?”*
*”I never lived in a dump. I lived in a modest apartment because I was investing my money instead of spending it on appearances. And I deliberately lost money on Etsy shipping costs because it was easier to let you explain basic business to me than to reveal that I was managing a nine-figure investment portfolio.”*
## The Final Word
Richard stood.
*”Marcus, you have two options. You can resign gracefully as CEO, maintain your equity position, and transition to an advisory role. Or, we can terminate you for cause based on the fraudulent investor communication, which would void your equity and potentially expose you to legal liability.”*
Marcus’s phone buzzed. He looked at it, his face going even paler.
*”That’s probably Emma wondering where you are,”*
I said.
*”You’re supposed to be on a plane to the Maldives.”*
*”How am I supposed to—”*
He stopped, swallowing hard.
*”How am I supposed to tell her I got fired from my own company? By my little sister?”*
*”By the majority shareholder,”*
I corrected.
*”And you can tell her the truth: that you made mistakes, that the board took action to protect the company, and that you’ll figure out your next steps.”*
*”She’s going to be devastated. Her father is on this board.”*
James winced but said nothing.
*”I’ll give you until Tuesday to make your decision,”*
I said, gathering my documents.
*”Resign voluntarily or be terminated for cause. Those are your options.”*
Marcus stood frozen, his hands gripping the edge of the table.
*”You’ve been planning this all along. You’ve been waiting for me to fail.”*
*”No,”*
I said honestly.
*”I was hoping you’d succeed. I invested $162 million in your firm because I believed in the concept. But you’ve proven you’re not ready to run it. Maybe someday you will be, but not today.”*
I stood and walked toward the door. Richard and the board members followed, leaving Marcus alone at the head of the empty conference room table.
In the elevator, Richard cleared his throat.
*”That was difficult. I’m sorry you had to do that to family.”*
*”He’s still my brother,”*
I said.
*”But the company’s survival is more important than his ego.”*
*”What will you do now?”*
*”Catch a flight to Tokyo. I have another investment opportunity to evaluate. A robotics firm that actually has a viable business model.”*
*”And your family?”*
I thought about that.
*”I’ll tell them the truth eventually. When I’m ready. When they’re ready to hear it.”*
The elevator doors opened onto the lobby. Through the glass walls, I could see the city waking up: coffee shops opening, people walking dogs, the Sunday morning rhythm of Manhattan.
My phone buzzed. A text from Marcus:
*I hate you.*
I replied:
*”You’re angry. I understand, but you’ll be okay.”*
Another buzz:
*Everyone will know you destroyed me.*
*”Everyone will know I saved a company you were driving into the ground. There’s a difference.”*
A longer pause followed. Then:
*Mom and Dad will never forgive you.*
I typed:
*”Probably not, but I didn’t do this for their approval.”*
I silenced my phone and walked out into the October morning. Behind me, 23 floors up, my brother was probably still standing in that conference room trying to understand how his clueless little sister had outplayed him so completely.
The thing about being underestimated is that people never see you coming. And by the time they do, it’s already too late.
