[HarrietJones]

You have an email from them saying that the final 2/3 payment is contingent on them getting funcding, and they got funding?

Resend the bill for the remainder. Give them 90 days. If they don't pay, sell the debt or take it legal.

[adtruth]

Sorry, I should have been clearer.

Four years ago I worked with him on Project A. Project A never got funded and died after our dispute. The 2/3 email relates to Project A.

However, while Project A was in progress, he presented it as his own work to land himself a job as an investor, and then used that to land himself a seed round for a tangentially related but materially different Project B years later.

I make no claims for the funding he received from Project B -- it's just bothersome that he earned it off of my back (to a degree).

[throwaway22mar]

dude. this new comment clears up a LOT.

based on this you are 100% suffering from sour grapes, because whereas HE was able to "present project A" in a certain light to get a totally separate gig and build a totally separate business, you yourself do not have adtruth_b that you were able to pitch to investors by mischaracterizing the success of Project A as a big success, and getting your own seed round for a tangentally related but materially different business.

you're just jealous that he is smoother than you!!

[yetanotheracc]

You did not read the long story, or you lack the ability to understand the written word, or both.

[throwaway22mar]

you are right, I didn't read the long story, just the comments I replied to.

but if he had gotten the 2/3 payment it would have been long-since spent by now. his problem specifically seems to be that the guy,

>However, while Project A was in progress, he presented it as his own work to land himself a job as an investor, and then used that to land himself a seed round for a tangentially related but materially different Project B years later.

>I make no claims for the funding he received from Project B -- it's just bothersome that he earned it off of my back (to a degree).

It simply sounds like sour grapes. This is in the longer version too:

>Shortly after, the client presented the site I had built in job and business school interviews and on his LinkedIn profile. He landed himself a job at an investment firm working as an advisor for startups, worked there for a few years, and managed to land himself a seed round as CEO of a company that -- get this -- provides business and accounting support for startups.

>Now, four years later, I am more established and quite satisfied with my career. I can afford legal representation. But I am having trouble letting this go. I think about it often. The money isn't the issue -- it's a matter of pride. This guy used me for his own financial benefit, lied to me, and is now starting a business purportedly to help freelancers.

A central theme by OP is that the guy "used him". But OP could have also "used project A" to land OP_project_B and seed funding for it. it's just that he didn't.

honestly, this seriously comes off as sour grapes given the extra information I've now read.

[HarrietJones]

On the mental anguish. You need to leave this. There's no place for revenge or warning other people. Try to think of it as a business deal only. Doing this will make your life worse. Every decision you make should be rational. If you can't get the money back, you need to write off the debt and walk away. This was your error, and you've learnt from it.