4 ms·

I was CTO of a company under investigation for both securities fraud and some other misdeeds. The CEO was definitely sketchy. When I tried to talk (many times)

I was CTO of a company under investigation for both securities fraud and some other misdeeds. The CEO was definitely sketchy. When I tried to talk (many times) about the pressure and stress I was feeling he would alternate between throwing chairs (seriously!) and offering me various pills and alcohol. I couldn’t even quit because then I would have to foot all my own legal bills which would have bankrupted me. I was so stressed I considered suicide despite the damage it would do to my fiancée and family. I didn’t see any way out of the situation and had convinced myself I was going to jail and my career was ruined. There were all sorts of suspicious emails, and truth be told I wasn’t exactly a saint either. I wound up finding a therapist who specialized in criminals and those going to jail. He listened to my story and gave me very good advice, and said worst case I would go to low-security prison for a few months. He didn’t think (from his professional experience) that I would do any time, and to relax. We wound up settling with the regulators, I left the company on semi-good terms, and eventually the company got acquired for the biggest exit of my career! And I am very happy I did not kill myself (as are my now-wife and kids). The silver lining is normal stressful situations don’t rattle me anymore. I have ice in my veins given what I went through. I am now a CTO of a respected company.

geoduck14 5y ago
Woah. That is some serious perspective! Thanks for sharing
whimsicalism 5y ago
It sounds like you were also struggling with anxiety writ large, not including those very stressful circumstances!
austinjp 5y ago
Oh boy. Sounds like hell. Very glad you're through the other side.
trs8080 5y ago
> and truth be told I wasn’t exactly a saint either lmao. rich people are hilarious. this isn't a "leadership challenge." this is you almost facing the consequences of your actions and then getting out of it and being successful despite the fact that you (by your own admission) were probably guilty. too bad you weren't caught -- then you may have actually learned something.
- cutemonster 5y ago
  > almost facing the consequences of your actions No, but the consequences of a seemingly sociopath CEO's actions. Your reply was one of the worst things I've read here on HN the last weeks. Saying such things to someone who was, back at the time, thinking about suicide.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - rand846633 5y ago
    Please help me understand how the fact alone that someone is thinking if suicide change anything how they should be treated? To go to the two extremes: Aaron Swartz but also Hitler killed them self..
  - feoren 5y ago
    Do you really not think accomplices to a crime ever deserve to face consequences for the crime? It sucks what OP went through but I'm not going to say a bank robber shouldn't go to jail because he's real sad about the whole thing.
    - marshmallow_12 5y ago
      again there's a vast gulf between one who steals money through dishonesty and one who steals with voilence. (granted if you have been screwed over you may disagree)
  - hagy 5y ago
    I think we'll all reading too much into this. Without knowing the details of what specifically the CEO, CTO, and others did, I don't think any of us can express much judgement. This anonymous poster stayed on topic and told us about a leadership challenges and the personal trials and tribulations of dealing with the challenge. Personally, I'm glad to have read this tidbit and thankful they shared it. They likely can't provide more details for legal reasons and they certainly don't want to bring attention to this part of their career.

geoduck14 5y ago

Woah. That is some serious perspective! Thanks for sharing

whimsicalism 5y ago

It sounds like you were also struggling with anxiety writ large, not including those very stressful circumstances!

austinjp 5y ago

Oh boy. Sounds like hell. Very glad you're through the other side.

trs8080 5y ago

> and truth be told I wasn’t exactly a saint either lmao. rich people are hilarious. this isn't a "leadership challenge." this is you almost facing the consequences of your actions and then getting out of it and being successful despite the fact that you (by your own admission) were probably guilty. too bad you weren't caught -- then you may have actually learned something.

cutemonster 5y ago
> almost facing the consequences of your actions No, but the consequences of a seemingly sociopath CEO's actions. Your reply was one of the worst things I've read here on HN the last weeks. Saying such things to someone who was, back at the time, thinking about suicide.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- rand846633 5y ago
  Please help me understand how the fact alone that someone is thinking if suicide change anything how they should be treated? To go to the two extremes: Aaron Swartz but also Hitler killed them self..
- feoren 5y ago
  Do you really not think accomplices to a crime ever deserve to face consequences for the crime? It sucks what OP went through but I'm not going to say a bank robber shouldn't go to jail because he's real sad about the whole thing.
  - marshmallow_12 5y ago
    again there's a vast gulf between one who steals money through dishonesty and one who steals with voilence. (granted if you have been screwed over you may disagree)
- hagy 5y ago
  I think we'll all reading too much into this. Without knowing the details of what specifically the CEO, CTO, and others did, I don't think any of us can express much judgement. This anonymous poster stayed on topic and told us about a leadership challenges and the personal trials and tribulations of dealing with the challenge. Personally, I'm glad to have read this tidbit and thankful they shared it. They likely can't provide more details for legal reasons and they certainly don't want to bring attention to this part of their career.