A man has claimed that after years of working for a small business, he secretly built a competing company and poached every single client from his employer after growing frustrated with how he was being treated. The story, shared on Reddit, describes how the man said he went from a long-time loyal employee to a direct competitor, and ultimately, the reason the business shut down.
According to the Reddit post, the man began working for the small business as a teenager under an owner named Steve. He claimed that over the years, he built a strong reputation in the field and became what he described as an integral part of the company, eventually reaching a senior role and expecting to be next in line to take it over.
When Steve decided to sell the business, the poster said he was given a chance to buy it, but the asking price was unreasonable for him. The company was then sold to a man the poster identified only as Kyle, who kept him on in his existing role.
The poster said he had no plans to leave before Kyle took over
According to the post, things appeared to go smoothly at first, as Kyle seemed content to let the poster continue running day-to-day operations and act as the face of the business. However, the poster claimed that problems began when he asked to be compensated for extra hours he had worked, and said Kyle refused to pay him fairly for it. Unfair treatment at work is not always dramatic; sometimes it starts with being dismissed over reasonable requests.
The poster said the dissatisfaction built up over time as Kyle continued to overlook his contributions and dismiss other concerns he raised. He claimed that Kyle’s attitude toward him eventually shifted into what he described as an attempt to assert dominance over him, which he said was the final push he needed to take action.
According to the post, the man spent roughly two months quietly setting up his own business on the side while still employed at Kyle’s company. He claimed he kept detailed notes on the client base during this period and made sure everything was in place before making any move.
When he felt ready, the poster said he sent an email out to the full client list announcing his new business. According to his account, all 50 of the company’s active clients chose to follow him, and an additional 25 inactive clients also made the switch to his new venture.
The poster claimed that the sudden and total loss of the client base left Kyle with no viable path to keep the business running, and that he was forced to shut it down shortly after. The man said he had not originally set out to become a business owner and that Kyle’s treatment of him was what pushed him in that direction.
In his post, the man claimed that working for Steve had felt stable and fulfilling, and that he had intended to stay with the company long-term. He said Steve had treated him well and that he had felt genuinely valued during those years, which was why he had put so much effort into the business and its clients.
He suggested that it was specifically Kyle’s management style, and what he described as a repeated failure to recognize his contributions, that changed everything. According to the poster, the final straw was not any single dramatic incident but rather an accumulation of moments where he felt dismissed and underpaid. Stories of employees pushed to the limit by employer decisions have become increasingly common on social media.
The man claimed that by the time he launched his business and the clients began jumping ship, Kyle appeared blindsided by what had happened. The poster said he did not warn Kyle or give him any prior indication that he had been building a competing company in the background.
According to the post, the man’s business has since grown and become successful in the years following the launch. He did not disclose the specific industry or share further details about Kyle’s whereabouts or circumstances after the closure.
Published: Jun 16, 2026 03:55 pm