[JSeymourATL]

> am I completely a chump?

It's human nature to trust people, until proven otherwise.

Your CEO might even have magnetic charm on par with Richard Branson or Steve Jobs. Their gift for words hit the right buttons. Who wouldn't want to go into partnership with those guys? Time reveals if they actually make good and deliver.

We should all think in terms of highest & best use of our time. Relative to proving your worth-- imagine what this position might have yielded had you been paid at contractor rates. You've invested your time in the CEO. Has he proven his worth back to you?