[ncallaway]

It's almost certain the settlement wasn't for the equity he would have been entitled based on the document that implies he had 50% equity at the time. That is the disaster, worst-possible outcome from a trial so there would be absolutely no reason to settle for that amount. If you're willing to accept that outcome you would be willing to go to trial and hope for the chance that you're willing to win.

It would've been an amount that Guillory was happy to accept, and that Cruise was willing to part with in order to reduce the risk that the legal uncertainty would spoil their acquisition offer. I have no guess as to what this value was, other than to say it would need to be an amount far-below what you would get if you assumed Guillory received 50% equity.

Additionally, Guillory probably traded some amount of financial compensation for the public admission that he was a co-founder.

[dragonwriter]

> That is the disaster, worst-possible outcome from a trial so there would be absolutely no reason to settle for that amount.

Not entirely true: the disaster, worst-possible outcome from the trial is that plus an order to pay the other sides costs, plus having racked up a bunch of your own costs.

Which is why one might, conceivably settle for that without the expense and delay of trial.

[hueving]

>If you're willing to accept that outcome you would be willing to go to trial and hope for the chance that you're willing to win.

No, you're forgetting that a long legal battle could have ruined the deal completely. It's very feasible that they settle for the almost worst-outcome of the trial to avoid killing the very deal that made it worth so much.