[danshapiro]

The general definition of preferred shares is that they are treated preferentially to common shares. In the most typical case, they get their money back before the remaining funds, if any, are disbursed.

So no. There's nothing sleazy about a preferred shareholder being treated preferentially, necessarily.

[dlss]

Usually things like preferred stock and senior bonds are used to protect shareholders from bankruptcy, rather than acquisition.

When you issue stock to someone, you accept a fiduciary responsibility for increasing the value of those shares to the best of your ability. That fiduciary responsibility includes siding with their interests if and when a conflict of interest arises.

If the founders really did receive a large pay day while taking the value of their non-preferred stock to zero, then it sounds like that fiduciary responsibility was ignored.

So yes. Sleazy is an appropriate word.