This is my personal experience. So take it as a sample of one.
A CTO, a decade younger to me, sought my advice on a similar situation - Founder-CEO divvied up equity in new and unfair ways without telling the CTO. The CTO wanted to raise hell, and take his loyal team members with him and basically handicap the company.
I advised him against doing this.
My view is - Even an unfair portion can mean real (but reduced) value, only if the company succeeds. And to that end, a rational angle will be to not act in a way, that damages value.
I told him to let his displeasure be known and leave but with his calm intact. And whatever, he had to do, meditate, jog, or whatever, to bring a calm mind to the table, he should do it.
He resigned, told the team that he built, that his initial pitch about the company doing interesting things are still true (which he truly believed), but he was leaving.
Fast forward a year and half, the company got sold for two-digits (Million USD), and he got a handsome payout, and the founders apologized.
He still wonders if the outcome would have been the same if he had acted in a way that damages the company.
Your first responsibility is to your peace and calm. Abstract yourself out of the deal, a business deal at that. Not worth your angst.
A CTO, a decade younger to me, sought my advice on a similar situation - Founder-CEO divvied up equity in new and unfair ways without telling the CTO. The CTO wanted to raise hell, and take his loyal team members with him and basically handicap the company.
I advised him against doing this.
My view is - Even an unfair portion can mean real (but reduced) value, only if the company succeeds. And to that end, a rational angle will be to not act in a way, that damages value.
I told him to let his displeasure be known and leave but with his calm intact. And whatever, he had to do, meditate, jog, or whatever, to bring a calm mind to the table, he should do it.
He resigned, told the team that he built, that his initial pitch about the company doing interesting things are still true (which he truly believed), but he was leaving.
Fast forward a year and half, the company got sold for two-digits (Million USD), and he got a handsome payout, and the founders apologized.
He still wonders if the outcome would have been the same if he had acted in a way that damages the company.
Your first responsibility is to your peace and calm. Abstract yourself out of the deal, a business deal at that. Not worth your angst.