[throwawayround]

Our arrangement over the past year was implied, so yes, effectively a handshake agreement. I don’t have an issue with him taking a salary when we can afford it. The problem is that for the company to maintain runway and keep me full-time, he would likely need to forgo a salary that he doesn’t actually need.

What confused me was how he framed it. First it was about “recouping some of his investment,” and when I pushed back that this isn’t how early-stage compensation works, it shifted to “saving money for family and legacy.” Both are understandable personal goals, but taking salary for those reasons directly increases the company’s risk at a stage where survival comes first. That mismatch is what I’m trying to sort out.

[GlibMonkeyDeath]

Again, forget about who "needs" what. The basic problem is that you don't have a written agreement. Time to negotiate with your co founder and get something signed. I obviously don't know anything about each of you, but if you are truly each contributing 50% to the success of the company then your angel investor co-founder is not getting 50% of the value at present, so has, in this scenario, a point.

I've seen lots of best friend co-founders end up not being able to be in the same room together eventually. Most of these situations boil down to fundamental misunderstandings that could have been addressed at the beginning. That's why signed employee agreements (where compensation, equity, vesting, and expectations are clearly laid out in black and white) are a must.