To hit delete and never share this opportunity?

[cantreallybebothered]

Long backstory so there will probably be a significant amount of dripfeeding but simply put we met an "artist", he became DHs best friend, they convinced me together a business was a good idea, I basically got into reams of debt, spent in all c. £180k of family money I need to pay back on it and worked to do his profile work to make him a celeb therefore increase the value of our partnership for free over 4 years while also holding down a job and having 2 under 5.

Then the artist got distracted, DH couldn't do it alone and the business was based around this person, we lost everything the day I had my 3rd child. I'm so fucking tired, DH has lost his business and his friend.

Today I get the email i'd been working towards, a production company want to film a programme with the artist because of my work, my business.

Do I delete it? Or do I pass on a celebrity life to someone who destroyed us but at least I proved we did what we promised and he was so very very wrong?

Pipe Dream = An unrealistic hope or fantasy

I can't go into detail but the dream has technically "come true", what we were, as I said, was massively naive to go into it on faith on a friend . He was a co-owner of this business, his talent our funds, I hadn't realised he was idiotic enough to completely throw all that away. The business was the vehicle by which we gained the profile and some pin money along the way to other things but the second he basically opted out it was doomed to failure as we couldn't manage "his" people and "his" product and still plough more money in on faith to make the business work as a separate entity and legally we would have started to trade as insolvent and I wouldn't drag other suppliers/staff down too it wasn't right. So much for being fucking moral. But anyway that doesn't help the situation, a very tough lesson learnt.

Lavender the business is insolvent so the money is gone. The outside work which the business was supposed to lead to and now has 3 months after close (celeb work, product lines etc) still exist in the form of this opportunity but that gets him money not us if I just hand it over.

I've taken your advice (lots of you!) I've bounced an email back as a holder and i'm going to look rationally at getting a contract in place before taking another step.

Take legal advice before you do anything. Agree with others that there might be a way you get in as middleman with a contract on this and recoup.

You could pitch it to Mr. Unreliable AND the production company as - he's the flake, you're the business person who knows the score and the product. With you on board, they'll both get more out of it.

Legal side: if it's your business, or shared, there should be some sort of intellectual property rights or something that could prevent him using the stuff? ideas? that the business used without you being part of it?

Oh and actually, hate to say it but I think I'd take the legal advice BEFORE telling your DH.

This guy was his friend. His feelings are going to be different to yours. The last thing you want is him contacting the guy before you get your ducks in a row, for whatever reason. If it might muddy the waters, find out more FIRST then talk to DH with a plan. Especially if he is fragile about the whole thing. Is that disloyal? No - this is the H who persuaded you to sink the family funds into a pipe dream - he doesn't get to be offended if you now deal with stuff your way.

Legal advice - pronto! Find someone who specialises in this sort of thing and get them to advise you what to do, how to go about it and how to protect yourselves and recoup some of your investment.

Is there anything to stop the production company getting in touch direct with this chap?

What AGnu says - you've got the lead, if he wants the spoils he needs to sign a contract/finders fee/agency fee with you, and you act as his representative for the TV show.

However please bear in mind that the vast majority of speculative emails from TV production companies never amount to anything, and if a programme did get made it may well not get bought. So don't pin your hopes.

I agree, unfortunately that an email from a TV production company doesn't mean instant fame and fortune.

Even if the show is made and then bought by a TV company there will be very little money in that itself. If the show means he goes on to do other things and eventually make money, if your joint company isn't now solvent, I doubt you will have any chance of getting any money from him.
Do take legal advise though.

If the program is made and your ex friend agrees you are involved ( unlikely) it will be impossible to prove that the exposure from the program has contributed to his wealth/ celeb status or whatever and you won't be able to make a claim on it.

You really need a specialist lawyer. Post on legal for recommendations or Google lawyers who specialise in entertainment contracts or whatever it is.

Do you have anything in writing or was it all a gentlemans agreement? This may stand up as clearly you invested. Yes you've ( both) been foolish but that's no reason to give up. It's all the more reason to do this properly now.

Get all the info you can on this man who has fucked you over. Anyone can get rid of money and declare themselves bankrupt. It's called fraud. Did you set up a company to do this? Did your friend refuse to be a director or anything? If so, I'm sorry, but he had plans. He may have done this before. He's probably doing it again now.

Have you looked on Companies House to see what companies he is involved in?

I've been on a tv programme and I didn't get a penny out of it?

Do you think by being on tv he will become famous and then earn money for you?

If you've fallen out with him won't he just go to another 'agent'?

If the tv production company have contacted you then they clearly have out of date info (as you are no longer representing him), I am sure it won't take them long to contact this guy directly.

Sorry - I know you can't say too much but what you have said makes you sound terribly naive, obvoiusly if we knew the whole story maybe that isn't the case. If I were your close friend IRL I would be telling you to stay out of it all forever more!