[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.