'We settled for $75,000': Graphic designer enjoys an 'I-told-you-so' moment; after being denied a raise, he quits and buys up all of the company's .com domains for $1k, scoring a small fortune in court

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Aug 31, 2023 6:00 PM EDT

It's tough for a single employee to hoodwink an entire company, although when CEO's turn a blind-eye to rational, practical advice, rare opportunities can present themselves for the huddled masses of lower employees to get a slice of the pie. In this case, a graphic designer worked for a rapidly growing startup for two years, handling all of their design and web productions from the very beginning. Knowing his value to business, he requested a reasonable raise to reward his hard work, but the CEO denied the request, claiming their margins weren't good enough (which OP knew was a bold-faced lie). 

However, OP was able to get a little revenge. After months of reminding his CEO to purchase the .com domains to everything related to their company, in order to secure their trademarking for the foreseeable future, OP decided to take his pay raise into his own hand. OP put in his resignation, going after a bigger raise with a new job, but on his way out, OP decided to purchase all of his company's domain trademarks with his own money. 

Scroll for the full story on how OP turned a $1,000 investment into a $75,000 payout– perhaps they should have heeded his advice. For more petty vengeance, check out this tale of a bartender to snubbed a disruptive guest who broke all the rules of drinking and went behind the bar to serve himself. 

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/Mark_ibrr 1 day ago Mod Award Award Company denied me a raise and the ignored my requests ... Ended up paying me $75k for their .com domains.
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 02
    Font - TL; DR Company didn't buy the domains for theirs brands, ended up paying me $75k after refusing a $25k increase in my yearly contract.
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 03
    Font - I worked for a start up company since the very early stages as their only designer. For 2 years I was responsible for everything web and graphic design related: packaging, collaterals, product images, amazon listings, etc
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 04
    Font - Because they couldn't offer me benefits they hired me as an Independent Contractor, so I wasn't considered an employee at all. Fast forward 2 years later, the company is making millions a month selling on Amazon, I told
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 05
    Font - them my rate was going to increase to reflect the success of the company and the roll I played in such rapid growth but they declined and told me they were going to end my contract (later learned they were planning to hire someone in India to do the job cheaper)
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 06
    Font - Before they terminated my contract they asked me to make a website to start selling their products and set up a subscription based model. (They had several brands so I had to make several websites for each brand)
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 07
    Font - Because they couldn't be bothered to buy the hosting or the domain I ended up building the whole thing on my personal hosting with the intention of transferring everything once they bought everything needed to get the site live.
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 08
    Font - Despite reminding them to buy the domains for all their brands and hosting so I could transfer everything before my contract was terminated they ignore me. (Notice that all their business was through Amazon and they only owned the parent company domain)
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 09
    Font - After my contract ended I handed over the files and bought a lot of the domain variations for their brands: Brand.com, Brand.net, Brand.store, Brand-Industry.com, etc.
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 10
    Font - A couple of months went by and I got an email from the CEO asking why I didn't transfer ownership of the domains to them and I forwarded him all my emails reminding them that it was their responsibility to register the
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 11
    Font - domains and that I had bought the domains with my own money after they terminated my contract so I legally owned all of them. He tried to claim trademark violation and start litigation so I offered to
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 12
    Font - transfer ownership of all the domains for $30,000 each (They had 3 brands so $90,000) After some back and forth we settled for $75,000, signed a contract and they cut me a check.
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 13
    Facial expression - Forsaken-Yak-7581 +2. 20 hr. ago This isn't petty revenge. This is another level. Outstanding work
    via Forsake-Yak-7581
  • 14
    Font - bymyside2008. 17 hr. ago OP even reminded them to register the domain before the contract terminated. It's nice enough before teaching them a lesson
    via bymyside2008
  • 15
    Font - firewarrior256 - 21 hr. ago Should have stayed firm on $90,000 ↑ 1.1k Reply Share monkeywelder +1. 20 hr. ago Should have leased them back for 90k a year in maintenance.
    via firewarrior256
  • 16
    Rectangle - Just_Aioli_1233 +3 . 48 min. ago "Dad, what do you do for work?" "As little as possible, son."
    via Just_Aioli_1233
  • 17
    Font - Inigo Montoya1985 - 21 hr. ago Lawyer fees would eat up that 15k pretty fast. 235 Reply Share Mark_ibrr OP. 20 hr. ago. edited 20 hr. ago Exactly, it was making me and my wife nervous, we were in the middle of getting a home building loan for our new house so the last
    via InigoMontoya1985
  • 18
    Font - thing I needed was extra expenses. With that money we finished the basement of our current house and increase the rent value by $900 a month since we added 2 rooms and another living room and 2 full bathrooms. So the difference paid itself in 2 years of rent.
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 19
    Font - The domains cost me less than $1000 so not worth the headache. If I wanted I could have had the domains redirect to their main competitor but I'm not that much of a d k
    via Mark_ibrr
  • 20
    Rectangle - Dry_Menu4804. 19 hr. ago You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away, And know when to run.
    via Dry_Menu4804
  • 21
    Font - Jlelford 14 hr. ago If you wanted to be a real d k you could have asked their competitors if it was worth more than 75k to them as well!
    via Jlelford
  • 22
    Font - DarkHorse76 - 18 hr. ago I would have given it to them if only they gave me 5% of their profit for the rest of my life and future generations.
    via DarkHorse76
  • 23
    Font - • 19 hr. ago Fearless_One4961 This made my day. Genius Amazing and outstanding job. Revenge, the next level. Thank you so much for sharing.
    via Fealess_One4861
  • 24
    Blue - 1010101010 10 10 10 10 10 10 10101010 0101010 www... Search mailing http://w 10 1010101010 10101010101010101010 1010101010 Patarder wwwww wwwwww www F 01010 www
    via u/canva

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