Except they don’t actually give the founder any money.
John Matze, the co-founder and former CEO of free speech platform Parler, is suing the company for wrongful termination and the alleged theft of his 40{3549d4179a0cbfd35266a886b325f66920645bb4445f165578a9e086cbc22d08} ownership of the company. It must be tempting when a big gun comes in, and promises millions in funding, and access to their massive media promotion machine. But that is almost always the first step in taking over your operation, and muscling you out.
If the Mercers come knocking, the answer should always be “no, thank you.” Nine times out of ten, if someone is seeking to invest in something you’re doing, their interests are in no way aligned with your own. Be content with what you have and where you are. And remember that no one genuinely gets to the big leagues through hard work and genuine success.