what if (IF)
the people you employ are not “artists”
for the sake of a counter argument, if Mal and Rory signed agreements to be on air talent, they aren’t “artists creating projects” they are hosts on a show. AJ and Free didn’t own equity in 106 and Park, Carson Daily didn’t own equity in TRL (yes I’m

)
I think what gets lost in all of this is that from Joe’s eyes, HE is the one that “created” the show, has seen it through many iterations (Joe and Marissa, Joe and Rory, Joe Rory and Mal, JRM and Parks, JP Ice and Ish), and everyone else works for him. They aren’t “creators” but rather employed talent.
If I start a restaurant and front the money and leverage and negotiate the price for food and pay my friends to work there from day 1, my friends may “feel” like they are owners because they worked hard, but if I paid them as employees that’s all they are.
Not defending Joe because it seems like scumbag behavior, but rather just providing insight as to how business owners might see their business.
This is completely different than an artist writing their own music, recording it, and then signing a deal with a label to distribute it and then feeling bad when they signed a vulture deal. This sounds like Joe was the owner, he was the one negotiating deals, and busting it down for his employees. When his employees thought that they should have equity, it seems he’s like