AITJ because dad gave the business to brother so I left. 

dude i would be so mad if me and my father built a business together for half my life then it was given to one of my siblings who wasnt involved at all. like i dont even think i could fathom that hard of a betrayal! especially since the guy got demoted! what was the father thinking????

I genuinely can’t understand why the family was so mad at him. He doesn’t have to be in the business to still be a part of the family, and even if he starts his own competing business he can still be a part of the family. In fact considering the father’s desire to serve his first son, even if it is stupid, this just seems like the best all solution to the conflict

This is a case of "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." True, OP didn't create the family business, but he made it successful, he made it what it was before they threw him out for the "golden child". They don't deserve OP.The fact that employees and clients chose OP instead of the family proves he cares and knows more about it than them. The family can knock rocks and I wish OP a happy and fulfilling life :)

OP's brother probably guilt-tripped the dad into giving him the business by present OP working with him as "favoritism", and both of them expected OP do stick around because he was attached to the buisness and because family. Then the dad thought that just saying sorry would be enough to fix things and is mad it isn't, both the dad and the brother are mad because they know without OP the business is screwed.

Imagine staking the lives of every employee of your company by giving the reins to someone who hasn't a clue rather than the perfect candidate, OUT OF PITY/GUILT. Why do these idiots think playing with the livelihoods of everyone who relies on their company staying afloat is a good thing?

Lmao, can anyone say "golden child" Heard this one before. Still can't get over how stupid the dad is 😅

Tell me you love one child more than the other without telling me you love one child more than the other. Happy that OP was able to at least put his knowledge and connections to good use and start building his own empire. Even has an actual family that he can celebrate with. When life (or in this case family) gives you lemons, make lemonade.

I sincerely wish for there to be an update a year or two from now where OP explains that his business has expanded beyond belief and is thriving. That all of his old clients, as well as former colleagues, jumped ship to work with him and he gets to watch in satisfaction as his “brother’s” business crumbles to the ground. It would be the sweetest cherry on top to this story.

The father doesn't seem too bright tbh. 😂 Watch what happens when the business goes under with the brother in charge.

The fact that his family only acts sad when he leaves the company, but then become angry when he doesn’t go in to work shows that they don’t care about him, they just want to use him.

A 50 van plumbing company is pretty massive if it's privately owned. Sounds like it's already on its way to failing. I used to be a plumber, and I know first hand tradeskill types absolutely despise working for someone who knows literally nothing about the trades kill. There's a reason those companies are built from the ground up by people who actually do the job.

I remember hearing this story for the 1st time on another channel. back then I thought the brother would run it into the ground because he doesn't know a damn thing about the business and now I still think the same thing. the only difference now is I think "how stupid do you have to be to give the business to the older son out of guilt rather than the younger one who worked his ass off to help build it up?"

I laughed through my covid cough when they called him ungrateful. Seriously he's ungrateful, well if he's so ungrateful tell me where some of those employees went. All for "Not giving him enough attention". I call crap. Now their company might go under cause Mr. Money Bags is in charge rather than someone who knows the work. If this business crashes, it's on the brother and the father, not op. I don't trust people to run a company (especially a smaller one like theirs) who only know what they learned in college or university, and don't know the work that they do inside and out. Not to mention a 20k demotion. I left a job over a 3 dollar change, 20k I would burn the bridge. Now he wants OP to return and is using family to guilt him, damn, talk about killing a relationship by your own hand. And lastly, good on op, I'm glad he has a life he can be mostly happy with. May his mother, father, and brother fail in life going forward, and I hope they take this as a lesson. Op should def uninvite his mother if she is, because she doesn't sound like she really wants him either, she just does not lose access to other family he may have. Good on the family for backing off, but let's see how long that'll be. It may be cynical, but people don't change that easily. Either they are saving face, want something, or very rarely actually changed.

If the company goes under because OP left, but would have stayed afloat if OP stuck around, then the owners weren't fit to own it, and the father made a mistake bigger than he first thought. Such is life with a golden child I suppose. None of the apologies sounded like anything more than kissing up, hoping to get OP to stay on for a 5 digit pay cut. Know your worth, OP. Your family obviously doesn't.

All respect to this guy, sounds like a great and genuine man, and as a Scot the kilt is a fantastic idea lol 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😃

The brother is the definition of someone who thinks that because they have a degree, that they are smarter and better than everyone else.

Man that father just drove the titanic into the iceberg there. How on earth does he think an accountant is going to be able to understand and run a plumbing business when he has never done it himself and hasn't paid attention to how it works.

The pain and betrayal OP must feel. You work for your dad for over a decade, make the business what it is, then get thrown away like you are nothing and did nothing for the business. I wish OP luck in the future and hope his business and those that saw his good work and joined him the best

Listening to these really make me appreciate my own family. They're not perfect by any means, but damn better than most of these stories I've been binging.

Had this happened to me I would have done exactly the same thing OP did. The utter disrespect and humiliation in having spent 13 years building the family business and then being tossed aside, demoted and given a huge pay cut when the brother - who hasn't worked a day in the family business - swoops in and gets full ownership. That's a level of disrespect that has to be deliberate. Why I have no idea, but that was deliberate. What they weren't counting on though was for OP to have a nice, shiny, girthy spine and take his skills and business contacts and start his own business. Now they're all suprisedpikachu'ing and wondering why OP won't come back.

I'm glad it worked out for OP in the end. Maybe it was fate he was to start his own conpany with his 12 years of on the job experience. His father didnt know he had a valuable asset in the business till he was gone. Now his dad doesn't have to feel guilty about his older son or spending time with him. His other younger son stepped back and out completely. The one son who was around helping his dad build the business from 2 employees to over 50. When the older son wanted no part of it.

It’s not about destroying the brother, it’s about fulfilling your own dreams. They’re selfish to try to keep you down. The excuses for slighting you is crap. You deserve to have what you want as well. I’m glad you’re going your own way

Imagine you slave away at your father's company to help out the family business. Honestly work your way from the bottom to the top, only for your older brother to suddenly inherit everything. Including your job. Just because he got a kid and a university degree (that can't compare to years of hands-on experience). I'd also put my skills to better use by starting my own business too. It's a better option than suddenly being forced to take a pay/authority cut in exchange for having to babysit and train your own replacement OP almost got screwed over big time by his family.

The dad is going to die without seeing the son who helped him the most. He sounds like a bad person

hopefully the dad and brother keep the same energy of going no contact when the business goes to shit and they lose everything

Listening to stories like this hurts. I have been betrayed by family in business, and its so sad to hear about other's situations. There is no pain deeper than the ones your own family can inflict. It's hard because we always love our family, even when we are devastated by them. I'm glad OP got out, is starting a new life and business, and I hope he is extremely successful! This story oddly gives me hope for myself. Thank you OP for sharing. If you can make lemonade from your family's lemons, then so can I, right?

Bet the brother sells the business and bolts when he messes up.

The brother is definitely the type to liquidate the family business blame it on OP for not bending over like others did because of a "diploma" I'm sorry I'm also an "uneducated" guy who went to a trade school and I made more money then most of the guys I knew that went for diplomas and the few that do make more than me don't have much since they are repaying debt that I never incurred.

I am just happy that the op didn't just make the business out of spite for his brother but to just survive and to feel justified for his actions. Also it's op's choice weather he leaves or stays in the business.

I don't think the father was acting out of guilt at all. I think he's wanted to give the business to the eldest son since the very beginning, and he's even used the op for this purpose. He is blatantly discriminating between his sons. "The golden child should rule and the peasant little child should serve." This is the kind of parent that deserves to be spending his last days in a nursing home, all alone.

I think the only part that throws me off is that he even spoke to dad again after hearing the "explanation". He literally got 12 years of your life to help him build a business and told you "That doesn't amount to much compared to what I PERSONALLY think I owe your brother." Literally telling you that you're worth less than your sibling because of my personal issues, nope, that's the sort of thing where you stop speaking to them because it'll never stop. Here's an example: Ever had your ENTIRE family forget about you at Christmas because someone else deserved it more? My cousin and I had that happen when I was 16. I wasn't used to it at that point, but watching my 9 year old cousin cry because everyone forgot about him on CHRISTMAS? He passed away years ago and that still comes to mind and upsets me. Except for OP, it wouldn't be his cousin, it'd be his children. OP's Dad won't even have "forgotten", he'll just have some excuse of "Well, I had to spend extra on brother's kids cause they're older and like different things. So I couldn't afford to get your kid's stuff." Just glad he was smart enough to cut most of them out. The fact that mom won't talk to him even while talking to fiance makes me worry she'll pull something at the wedding, but, that's probably just personal paranoia vs an actual possibility.

Big case of golden child syndrome there the son that worked with him for 12 years get booted to the side just because the other brother has a wife and kid that doesn't make any sense

Yeah the guy in the story did the right thing 100%

Obviously, I have more sympathy for op, but I also feel a little for the dad in the same way I would for someone who irreversibly ruins their own life over one stupid decision. He said he destroyed his family and it seems like he was right. He lived his whole life just fine and then tore his family apart at the last second. I think it's still possible to mostly mend things, but some amount of the damage is irreparable and he may not have enough time left to fix what he could. The onus of making peace is also entirely on him, but he seems unwilling to accept the consequences of his actions. There's no undoing his decision, nor its consequences. All he can do his accept his mistake, accept his son's reaction, and try to maintain contact anyway.

The dad gave one son the cake but the other knew the recipe

Why did the father think the brother was eligible to take over the business 100% when he literally did nothing to help it for 12 years and even said it was a waste of his time lol. I wish OP the best, he didn't deserve any of that treatment or to be told his brother deserved to own the business for reasons that weren’t even remotely valid at all

Not only demoting his son and taking the business away but also cutting his pay? That ain’t right.

I WANT MORE EDITS!!! THIS IS GOING SO DAMN WELL, I WANT TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE DOING GOOD IN LIFE!!!😭😭😭

Honestly the hilarious part is when the father suggests going 50/50. 12 years in, brother swoops in and "50/50". Hahahahahahahahaha

I’m so happy for him 🎉❤❤❤❤ He totally deserved it! I wish him wonderful life! ❤️❤️✨

Imagine stealing $20k from a relative because "they don't need it".

“You helped me build my business and after I gave it to your idiot brother, how dare you use the experience in business you got from building mine for building your own instead of bowing to your brother!”

My guess is that the old brother was considered the "problem child". Helping your problem child a little more to get on his own feet is one thing, demoting your succesful child is another.

The father should be like: Well, well... if it isn't the consequences to my own actions

how can the family think about the company when the main problem here is the betrayal

Talk about betrayal he gives the company to the first one who wanted nothing to do with it saying it was below him and gets mad at the second son who helped him build it then wants him to run back saying he doesn't know how to run a company he's been running for 12 years i would never talk to them again

Worst business deal goes to.... 😂😂😂😂

What in the know-nothing nepotism is going on? Dad doesn't have a lick of sense of what he's doing, and the brother to all of a sudden grows a pair when he refused involvement in the first place is laughable. Hopefully OP overtakes them and remains blessed.

He’s not ungrateful, he’s backstabbed.

Nah, they treated you like property and thought they owned your time. I would've been a lot more harsh.

- Put a W in the middle of your kids names pal cause you are wracking up Wins. You lost nothing but weight and are getting nothing but gains! Build that Kindome!

"Ill be wearing my kilt" lets gooooo 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Wow, this is like the biblical allegory of the prodigal son with a very important difference. In the biblical story, the father was so happy to have the prodigal son back that he gave him a ring and a coat and held a huge party that the faithful son came home to after a busy day of work. The faithful son was angry that the father was doing so much for the prodigal, but he, the good son, never got that kind of recognition. But then the father pointed out that the faithful son was the heir. In this story, the father gave the prodigal the faithful's inheritance. It would have been shameful if it was just that the prodigal was getting 50%, since the faithful has put so much more work into it, but no, it's worse. The prodigal gets it ALL. What a terrible father. He admits that he neglected the brother for his business, and then to make up for it gave the business to the brother at the expense of OP. It sounds to me like the father loves the BUSINESS more than he loves EITHER of his sons. I must be much more vindictive than the OP, because after that betrayal, I would make it my life's mission to drive Dad's old business into the ground, since he loves it so much more than his family.

Plumbing company run by someone without plumbing expertise... Yeah. Met a lot of tradesmen and live in the UK. Guarantee the best workers would be buying their own van and bailing the moment they were introduced to the new leadership. The less competent ones will stick around hoping to progress upwards. That company was toast as soon as it transferred to the brother and the dad knows it. And beyond talking his son into transferring it back to the other, he can't do much about it. Paycut, demotion and reduction of status soon as he took over... how do you reconcile that?

Wow, you cannot treat random employees like that, much less own family. If they handle managment like that, they will fail hard.

Dad's ungrateful for what he had? He gave zero reasons that justify giving business to brother. He was asked to step down, so he did. That was their choice. Tough s***

Wanna bet that the brother will go broke and then expect you to give him control of your company

Bro thinks having a bachelors these days means you know how to run a company💀 bro is delusional

Brother May Know the Business BUT OP knows the CHEMISTRY

The dad is more blind then Stevie wonder in a unlit windowless room. OP could have gone to uni and done this that and another but stayed to help the business and felt he had value there as a person. Now the brother took over and changed everything the value is lost

Letting feelings make decisions in work is never a good idea.

Oh my God, i remember this story, but i never caught up after Update 2. To this day my opinion has not changed, i still think that the brother should not have got the business since he had no understanding of it and was not involved at all, while OP sacrificed more than a decade to build this. I still think there was some manipulating by brother involved that OP was tossed aside, maybe favoritism, but maybe the "Im more qualified on paper" card, which is in my opinion only proven by that crappy family dinner. I also don't get on how father thought this could work, getting a pay cut that huge is insane. I also don't get why the family initially reacted that way, in a logical setting this makes no sense, and here again I'm sure favoritism played a major role. And im happy OP builds a new business with a few of his old coworkers, if expertise and an early dedication is involved i'm certain this will blow up. This is something i saw in real life too, my first job was as an electrician in a family owned plumbing business, there was a similar story happened, the founder died, and his wife took over, during that time the dude who trained me made his master in plumbing too and he was promised the business, but the grandson of the founders finished his training in buro something, and he got the business. He literally had no idea of anything and crashed the whole business since there was no quality, neither in done work, nor in material we needed, then the guy who trained me took over and the business started to run again, but damage was done, a year later i and many more quit and the business does rather bad, since it was run almost 3 years with no expertise in leading positions. This is probably going to happen In brothers business too, if it not already started.

God bless my dad's soul! he left us nothing to fight over lol

So essentially: Dad: Hagoromo OP: Indra Brother: Ashura

Youre a good spirit, don’t worry. You were done wrong, but you’re definitely going on to do great things! Stay strong

the brother still won the company at the end, sad.

That's what they get for giving to the person who doesn't deserve it. If they wanted to apologize to op they and have come back they should've thrown older brother out on his ass and put him where rightfully belonged. They can't be assholes when they realized they he was going to play second fiddle.

I, for the life of me, cannot even begin to fathom the thought process of the Father: He had a son that was there for over a decade, helping to grow the business and getting to know the employees, but then for some reason, old Father decides to hand full control over to a paper-pushing accountant who probably knows DICK about plumbing, and expected the younger son to take both the insult, demotion and pay cut?! I agree with the majority; O.P. was able to dodge a tactical nuke heading for that company, since a bean counter will be more concerned with the profits and losses than about the actual work. And with the loss of several prominent workers, and clients, I wouldn't be surprised if the "Family Business" goes belly-up in short order.

Well well well if it isn’t the consequences of her own actions 🥴🙄 I feel bad for the guy, hope he moves on and finds someone who actually loves him

The fact that the dad was not there for the other brother is his problem and not yours, he made the choice to give his business to him and you in response left the business, perfect counterblow. It's really idiotic of him to sacrifice perfectly healthy relationship for a strained relationship, even if the dad gave the business to the brother, the brother is not gonna suddenly gonna get closer to his dad, that's absurd delusion. Mending relationships is not about material wealth, its about the time he spent and that time is at the end of his life. I thought age is meant to make you wiser not dumber.

Next time you expand; buy their business

This feels like Yellowstone but Jaimie's the favourite kid

It's amazing. One minute people are apologizing saying they were wrong and want you back and the next they're vilifying you as if the whole thing is your fault. Dad chose to be ungrateful for OPs help and made the bad decision. Brother is a idiot thinking he knows what he's doing when he would need OPs help every minute then tell the father he's got everything under control. And the mother needs to either get them all apologizing to OP or get used to the idea that if OP has kids they might never see them. Also the part about the brother deserving to run the business. What exactly had he done to do that? His degree is in accounting. How exactly is that going to help. The father's excuses were all hollow.

Yeah bro! Rock that kilt!

But I thought he didn’t know how to run a business his brother sounds like a piece of work lol

The parents really shouldn't be called parents. They neglect one child all his life to focus on the other, then they shift focus to the first child to neglect the other one who's been there for him for years. Why have 2 children if you can't parent them both at the same time? why do you have to throw one child in the trash to parent the other one? I don't even blame the brother, he probably thinks that he's been undermined and forgotten for years and deserves some kind of recognition. Of course he wouldn't like the favorite child coming to boss him around even if he knows what he's doing. They're both better off completely going NC with the ''parents''

i wished there was an update to this story id like to know how things are today. thats been the biggest frustration in this story to me.

The dad fucked up, he knows it, but wants to be stubborn. He felt bad about not supporting his oldest son, but he never supported OP. OP bust his ass to run the business, learn the business, expanding the business. Yeah, that dad deserves to lose the business.

My dad (13y old, female)

That is nothing more than a backstab. Just because he's your dad that has a medical conditions doesn't mean he can just do something like this. definitely not the asshole. Breaking off from *everyone* might be a bit much, but if they agreed with your father then I'd understand just to avoid any annoyances in the future.

This reminded me of old man six paths giving up leadership to his younger son, even though his older son was better at Ninjutsu. Indra was kinda evil though

I've heard this story before and still think it is fake. It follows the common format of Person X wronged OP and now miraculous OP is thriving (and making lots of money) in short amount of time and Person X is failing and miserable. Starting a business, getting all the legal, logistical, insurance, taxes, benefits?, etc.. sorted out takes a lot of time and you most likely won't be making much profit for a while. Also it is unlikely that these clients would just break a contract with the brother's company and move it to a newly-formed entity started by OP without of this stuff sorted out. It is entertaining but most likely a fabrication.

The best revenge is success. Create a successful business while keeping an eye on your brother's failing business though make sure that no one buys that business except you. When it hits bankruptcy buy the remaining assets from the bank. Convince the remaining employees to join your business. This way you can claim ownership of the family business as it was meant to be. Sadly I fear your father may not be alive to see this but tell your mom that you are merely correcting your father's mistake. Now your brother can work in the actual field he should while the family business is now in better hands.

Reminds me of that one story from the bible, where theres this rich man with 2 sons, literally same story as this, its kinda sad that the one that is loyal is the one that gets nailed down

You all have a lot of great points, so instead of repeating my first X reactions, I'll ask this. Little brother fully worked from 15 to 27 with some, probably, part time in college related to his trade. BIG brother only just finished uni, but had no work experience in dad's company. Accounting degree takes 4 year on average. Question WTF was he doing the rest of the time and is dad guilty for 'not being there for him' just those 4 he was away? o_O You don't reward former addicts by gifting them business out of guilt, but it seems the thing a golden child would be rewarded with

Yeah.. the OP has no reason to be loyal. Not going to lie, but people need to understand that a college degree is in no way justification to just be "slid into control" of a company he knows absolutely nothing about. I guarantee that in between 18 months and 3 years he will bankrupt the business and/or he will be removed from the position by force. The absolute arrogance of the brother so early proves that, and his every word shows he doesn't deserve to have the company. I really feel bad for the family, but the father and brother screwed up and know it. The extended family can see what is coming, and they know that the brother will end up selling to the OP in the end.

Not the asshole for starting your own business, but should not cut your parents out of your life, or your brother. Prove them wrong.

I’m not saying this to make the op look in the wrong but if I were him and since I have saved up money, I would have offered a partnership with his dad since this is the only career investing he had at that time. Even for a small percentage of the ownership and profit. For example by one or two vans whenever he could and reinvest his savings onto the company. The situation would be totally different in this case

Is anyone else getting a headache from the moving around and just wants the guy to stay put in one spot

I know people will often say almost every reddit post is fake, and that's likely true, but saying "my british blue collar plumber dad and his true brexit wife read my REDDIT POST by complete chance" is too wild. There is nothing in this world that can convince me this actually happened.

Father probably thinks the brother is better with money.

*Where's The Video With The Rest Of The Updates!?!*

Seems to me the father didn’t learn his lesson with the post at all. They are only pissed because they need him and they were caught looking like morons on the internet.

It's a damn shame it came to that but OP has done what's best for him and if his father brother mother don't accept it that's on them. I've got family in the hairdressing business and they run 2 different hairdressers and even though they compete if they can't fit a client in they refer business over to the other and visa versa it's worked out well for them.

Ok hold on why did the starting clips of that gameplay look like someone was just mimicking the movements in spectator mode?

And as always, when OOP will have childs, the parent will come back with "let's forget the past, we were all dumb". But to me OP, will not being the asshole, should have say during the family meeting that eather the brother go 66/33 (in favor of OP) or they can watch the company OOP helped build die as OOP isn't there anymore. If they say yes, everyone is happy, if they say no, OOP would have a card to play to shut everyone up as in "My father choosed the incompetent child to run the company, and when I gave them a way of fixing the problem without throwing away nether the company nor my brother, they said no. If the company is dead, it's not my fault."

Shocker!!! Who to start off with!!! Father biggest as!holes do not go 50/50 with son, give the whole business to son that does not now anything about the business and last think you come back to work for brother. Now the brother or should we called the golden child come back got the whole business without knowing anything about the business should listen to brother and abet he does not listen to the worker that have 10 or more year in the business. Mother and the other family member what did they think would happen when someone does not know anything about business demote his brother I for one would have leave the next day after it was announced. Hope your business goes pass what our father business was like maybe be the the top three in that business and above our brother company!!! What did he think would happen with someone with no knowledge in the business think he could go the next level or something like that. I bet the workers and clients will started leaving and cancel works!!!

The father is such an entitled idiot put seems to believe that his son doesn't deserve the same as the other one just because he was looked after more honestly I think that the older sibling got a way better because he didn't have to deal with this idiot of a father

They didn't find the post .. that doesn't happen

I feel like something doesn't add up here. The dads behavior is very strange.