When people buy stock in any company, they don't consider only the current value of the company as if it were to be liquidated today: they also consider future

When people buy stock in any company, they don't consider only the current value of the company as if it were to be liquidated today: they also consider future earnings, which they hope will increase the future value of their shares. The same logic applies when selling. If a co-founder sells back their stake, why should the current value of the company be the sole basis for pricing the sale? As with any other stock, owning shares represents a claim on a portion of the value created by the company's future earnings. If someone is going to sell that claim, they are entitled to take that into account. That's not rent-seeking; it's compensation for giving up a claim on future earnings. Of course, all of this assumes that Elementary OS has a bright future ahead of it as a business which will increase its earnings and value, which seems unlikely. The founders seem to be arguing over a company that is worth less than a new Camry. But still!