Millionaire boss threatened to deny longtime employee future favors after he quit — his unexpectedly calm response left the boss fuming for days
Some people seem to enjoy turning every conversation into a fight, especially when they're used to getting their way. But one longtime employee showed that you don't have to play along. On October 10, 2026, the employee's son, who goes by u/TylPlas26 on Reddit, shared a story about his dad when he was an employee of a family-owned business. He shared how his dad handled a wealthy, longtime boss who tried to get the last word after learning he was quitting. Instead of snapping back or getting drawn into a fight, his dad responded in a way that left the boss fuming for days.
His dad had worked at the family business for over a decade, but when he finally quit, the company's founder, Dave, didn't take it well. On his last day, Dave called him into his office, unaware that he'd already handed in his notice. When his dad explained he was leaving, Dave warned him, "If you ever need favors, don’t ever come here for them, because you won’t get them." He even offered to remind him if he ever forgot. But his dad wasn't about to take the bait. Instead of snapping at him, which Dave probably wanted, he simply replied, "Well, I’m sorry to hear that. Thank you for all the years. All the best to you," and walked out. Comically, his former coworkers started calling and texting him over the next week, asking what he'd said to Dave because the boss had been “fuming mad every single day” since that conversation.
The employee's son, who posted the story, explained that Dave had a reputation around town for being rude, entitled, and always ready to argue. While people respected the money he donated to local causes and the jobs his company provided, dealing with him personally was another story. He was even known to pull out a calculator after agreeing on a price, then insist on paying 10 to 15% less than promised. As Dave once put it, "You can have money or friends. But not both." His dad seemed to understand exactly how Dave operated. Rather than getting pulled into an argument, he kept his response polite and walked away. And judging by how long Dave stayed angry afterward, refusing to give him a fight may have been the last thing he expected.
People in the comments agreed that sometimes the best way to deal with someone who thrives on conflict is to simply refuse to participate. u/RenaMandel summed it up, writing, "Moral of the story. You can win with these people by just not feeding their ego." Another user, u/udidubbun, offered a simple reminder, writing, “You don't have to join every fight you're invited to." Meanwhile, u/sleepingdogs50 shared, "I used to tell my children it takes at least 2 to have an argument or fight."
Entitlement in workplaces towards employees rarely ends up well. In another story, after an employee quit because of weekend shifts, his boss called the remaining staff together for a lecture on loyalty, even though several workers had already left because of heavy workloads and staffing problems. Rather than address their concerns, he told them that work wasn't supposed to be easy. His speech backfired when another employee handed in their resignation before the shift ended. Much like Dave, the boss seemed more interested in demanding loyalty than understanding why people were choosing to leave.
For more of his stories, you can follow u/TylPlas26 on Reddit.