Growing up I always believed that family came first and you have each others backs no matter what. Nothing is stronger than the bond a family has and over the last few years have learned this is not always the case. I thought I would share two stories with one from my family and another from who I have grown up with.
I mentioned recently I have had a few run ins with certain family members and you only find out how devious they are after the act. I stopped talking to one of the family about 10 years ago and others thought this was over the top and dramatic. I felt cheated at the time and had no apology forthcoming and this person even laughed. Normally you would beat the living daylights out of someone for doing such a thing, but come on this is family and I cannot lower myself to that level.
Fast forward to current day and many of the family have kind of disowned this individual as they have also felt what this person is capable of first hand. I thought what happened to me was bad enough, but it seems he has done far worse being in business with other members of the family.
This persons career is down to one particular family member who gave him a break in life and allowed him to pay off a percentage share holding in a company they had together. This company eventually paid out the partners of which one was left having coughed up $2 million a piece to 3 other partners including the family member. That was business and no wrong doing, but this guy had money now and what he did next was unforgivable.
The partner that bought him out he then did over for another $2 million though a loan account. The owner of the company was very ill and fighting a life threatening disease which he has thankfully over come. The 3 years he was battling his illness the trusted family member stepped in to over see things and at the same time diverted funds.
This was not immediately clear as he tried to hide this through a loan account which the company was paying. This only came to light a few years ago and why they are not on speaking terms. How low must someone sink to take advantage of someone's health to even contemplate this idea?
This family member was a cousin in our family and the story gets even worse when your own brother also does a dirty on you. This story is from a family I have known most of my life and only found out recently which also explained why they fell out and were not talking for a few years. The brother was given a company by his brother as he wanted to change his career path and move into business. This company was a fully functioning working company that I always wondered how he came to owning it. I had always presumed that he bought it himself, but no he was given it. I think the brother had a shareholding and bought the other partner out so he could give his brother the entire company. The reason why he did this was he swore to his parents he would take care of the family as he had some wealth and felt duty bound to help.
What do you do when you are given a company on a plate is you are thankful and make a success of your good fortune. No that is not how this story works and within 16 months the brother had sold the company for $5 million. Did he give any of the proceeds to his brother and you guessed it he did not. His brother actually asked for the original cost of the business and the reply was go look down a deep dark hole. I am still stunned as I know these people very well and I thought I knew them and obviously underestimated how bad they were.
Sadly these events are all true and within one particular circle of people who I thought I knew well. I know so many others with similar stories that can be told and you would never guess how much treachery is going on within families. Greed does terrible things to people if you let it take over your brain and thankfully money is important to myself, but does not change my morals. I would rather be poor and keep my head held up high than knowing I have taken from my family. Some people do not deserve a family and have forgotten how important family is to everyone and you stick by them and never let them down.