**Eduardo Saverin: From Founder to Target—How Facebook Built Its Empire** 💔

The story of Eduardo Saverin is more than just a scandal in the tech world—it's a warning about the dark side of the founder's dream. When Saverin co-founded Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, he was the CFO and an early investor, making him the ideal partner. He poured his wealth into the project, managed the finances, and believed in the shared goal. But like many founder partnerships, this one also ended in betrayal.

The turning point came unexpectedly: while Saverin was pushing the business forward, the next funding round was orchestrated behind the scenes. His original stake of 34.4% was gradually diluted—not through normal capital increases, but through targeted measures implemented without his active consent. In the end, Saverin held only 0.03% of a company he had helped build. The former co-founder was systematically pushed out of the game.

The reason? Power struggle. Zuckerberg wanted to secure control, and Saverin stood in the way. The legal battles that followed ended with settlements and millions of dollars—but the trust was irreparably destroyed. Saverin left Facebook as a millionaire who felt like a nobody.

This lesson from Facebook's founding story shows: in the startup ecosystem, good intentions and early investments are not enough—bargaining power and control over voting rights are crucial.