How would you react to an employer like this person?

Would love to hear how you guys and girls react to a situation like this.

I'm going to give you a bit of background information:
2 years ago I briefly worked for a real-estate broker who was based in New-York ( I worked for him home-based in Belgium but he visited Europe a lot so was planning to come and see me).
The firm was a Jewish-owned firm owned by a couple of people but I only worked consistently for 1 person: man in his mid-40s, very successful, also a few newspaper articles about him where he was accused of something very serious (a form of fraud that cost someone's life).
Overall a very nice person though in general.

There were a couple of rules: I couldn't call him on Saturday or Whatsapp him on Saturday because in Jewish culture that is a holy day (Sabbat). Very understandable.

However, during the week he was also never available.
He was online 24/7 on Whatsapp but would never have time to call or speak to his employees and when he did it was in a very informal manner (explained further into my report).

There were some red flags:
lots of bankruptcies registered under his name.
Lots of companies set up in places (third world countries) where labor laws are very loose and human rights not protected or poorly protected, as if he was scared to go about his business in the USA where he would be subject to stronger oversight and regulations.
He recently set up a tech company in Islamabad, Pakistan. Tech and Pakistan immediately makes me think about corrupt businesses like AXACT. Not sure if he went to Pakistan to circumvent common regulations and principles but who knows.

Anyway, the biggest red flag was that it seemed that he tried to circumvent or delay his responsibilities as an employer.

We agreed on meal vouchers, pension saving, energy consumption reimbursement (electricity etc.).
We also agreed on a new computer so that I could carry my work for him out on that computer rather than having to use my own computer or that from my main job.

When we signed the contract he didn't bat an eye. He just signed without any remarks.

However, my employment started and my computer was still not delivered.
He asked me to finish projects for him like investment plans and legal strategy plans, but I had to keep reminding him to pay me before he ultimately did after countless reminders.

The lack of communication, the unmet promises, the accusations in newspapers about him ( he had to pay over 3 million USD because a child passed away due to a building he owned lacking the necessary safety measurements, not being properly constructed etc. ).
When I confronted him with it he said that he settled that in court like a good person and that he shouldn't feel more remorse than that.

Ultimately I started doubting this person's entire personality and intentions so much that I called it quits.
The fear of having to beg for my salary every time I would have finished a project; Him not showing up when promised to do so etc.

He also behaved weird in a way that I have never known any employer to do. That's probably what stays with me most:
He said that there had to be chemistry between him and his professional help.
Then ultimately one night I got a Whatsapp wih : "you're probably sleeping but I'm going crazy for you".
Next day he acted very normal again, as if nothing happened.
Then a few days before I called it quits I asked him how an investment deal he was working on went and I got an email back with "Darling, so lovely to hear from you".

I found those things weird but he was a friendly person so I didn't say anything about it. I just ignored it.

So back to where this leads up to:
He contacted me a few days ago that it was always a pleasure working with me and that we had a misunderstanding in commitment style but that he would love to work with me again and that we should start with a "per diem" contract in the beginning to, I literally quote, "build trust and chemistry".

I was a bit weirded out but decided to listen.
Fast forward to where he asks me when we can hop on a call to discuss, proceeds with giving me his new Whatsapp nr.

I sent him a message that we would have a call today at 10 pm CET , 4 pm New-York time (where he lives).
I ask him if I can count on his presence at the agreed time.
He says it depends on travel but normally yes and he'd confirm.
No confirmation, no call.
However the guy keeps chasing me to be his employee.

I'm trying to understand the psychology behind this person.

Is his style typical for New-York Real-Estate Brokers?
Is his style typical for Real-Estate Brokers an sich?
I understand he's busy but it's all so weird sometimes.
Don't know what I should think of this person.

Sometimes I tell myself this is probably due to him being a successful business man, other times I tell myself he is just a weirdo and all the rest are excuses.

Would love to have your take on it.
If you were in my situation, how would you react towards this person?
Would you give him a chance? Decline the offer / further contact etc.?

My job would be a combination of giving legal advice; keeping an eye on the financial markets; Helping him to market his new app that is under construction.

Would love to hear some neutral people their take on this situation.

Thanks,
TB

 

I would suggest you really answered your own question in this post. There is a track record and what appears to be some testing the water in terms of relationship. Some parts may not get better and some may escalate.

What is so good about any of that for you to put yourself in the middle of it again? What has changed (demonstrably) that would indicate it won't be a recurring or escalating issue?

 

I'm also quite worried about history repeating itself again and that it will be like last time.

What appeals to me about this entire situation?
Definitely not this person. In fact he made me feel uncomfortable more than anything.
So why did I try to make it work?
Because he seems to be quite successful and somewhere I hoped that this would be a step up to a career in Investment Banking.
This guy seemed to believe in me and gave me a lot of trust ( almost carte blanche when it came to projects).
Although, looking back in hindsight, groomers and weirdos always try to earn someone's trust by making false promises so it's a bit difficult to say if he was leading me on or if he truly believed in me and truly wanted to give me a little push to success.

The things that were very abnormal obviously were the many bankruptcies going back as far as 1999.
The fact that this guy always played dumb when the work was done and I sent him a request for payment.
Usually took about 20 reminders before he would eventually get tired of me asking for my money and would then pay me and say he had forgotten to do it earlier.

In one of the newspapers about him it said that he lied about his name and therefor authorities in the US took some time to find him when that collapse of that building happened.
He has a Jewish name but westernized the name but because it's not his legal name they couldn't find him.
He claimed that he settled everything in court but I wonder if he would have paid the family of that boy that died, had authorities eventually not been able to find him.
He was fugitive for more than a month after that happened.
I confronted him with these things and he made it seem like I was making a big deal out of nothing. When, personally, it is a very big deal if a child dies because you (the owner) did not take your responsibilities in terms of security measurements etc. He was their landlord but apparently never fulfilled his duties in terms of complying with regulations etc.)
He didn't seem to be bothered much by the death of that child, which weirded me out.

On the other hand, concerning here and now, he showed me a few of his investment plans. He wants to start bringing his own stock on the market and wanted me to help him with that. I had to search for credit score A+ countries where we could register his stocks on the local market.
Then I called it quits and I wasn't nice to him at that time. I told him to never contact me again etc.

Now a couple days ago ( after 2 years of no contact), he contacted me again but seemed to have changed from what he told me.
He sent me some business ideas and in theory they looked nice.

However, his behavior of not showing up when promised etc. is just repeating itself so maybe it's just wishful thinking to listen to this guy and start working for him again.
If it sounds too good to be true, it is probably not going to be what you hope, I guess.

Got 3 texts from him almost 2 hours later if I'm still up for a call.
For now I ignored the texts.

You're maybe right though.
It's like you say, there is always that testing of boundaries ( "How far can I go?") with him and I don't quite like it.

 

he is just a weirdo and all the rest are excuses.

 

Don't work for him - ever again. But here's how there might be a few bucks in it for you:

Write. Turn your actual experience and some imagined ones into a novel. Change a lot of things around so he can't come after you. First, don't make your fictional villain Jewish. Even a fictional 'bad Jew' could set the worst elements of our society in motion - and who wants that?

Hmm - Real Estate guy? No end of bad things he could do. A friend of mine took a look at this - and he had a suggestion. Why don't you have the guy run for President?

 

It sounds like he's a con artist who isn't actually that successful after all.

 

Total sociopath. Run, do not walk to the nearest exit. Persona non grata. Welcome him to all of your blocklists.

 

You need to run…

…If it was Steve, Johann, or Rich asking, I’d be advocating total buy in and weekly update reports!