Everything is a negotiation. But you’ll probably need an employer to push for that. Firing you just before your cliff is obviously not a particularly defensible

Everything is a negotiation. But you’ll probably need an employer to push for that. Firing you just before your cliff is obviously not a particularly defensible action. More importantly, your last statement (“I don't really want any equity in the company at this point if I'm not involved.”) suggests you don’t want the most obvious settlement: you retain your equity plus some acceleration (since you aren’t leaving on your own terms, it’s standard to request more than your currently “vested” amount). You can’t likely “force” them to pay you for those shares above the price you paid, unless you have another buyer willing to do so. Like others here, I’d suggest you involve your investors and almost certainly a lawyer (assuming you think that would even be worth it). I can’t tell if you want to take over the company (you buy them out), you want them to buy you out, or you want to walk away. Do you have a clear preference?