Like times a thousand! Wood-pellet fuel businessman Paul Ceglia of Wellsville, NY is bringing internet giant Facebook to federal court, claiming he signed a contract with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg which gave him partial ownership of the site in 2003. Well, maybe a little more than "partial." The suit claims he was hired to develop software and a website that eventually evolved into Facebook, entitling him to 84% of the company. So what took him so long?
Ceglia says the contract required him to pay a $1,000 fee, but entitled him to a "50% stake in the product" and an "additional 1% interest in the business for every day after Jan. 1, 2004, until it was completed." Facebook says Ceglia's claims are "almost certainly barred by the statue of limitations," and says his contract for "The Face Book" was signed about nine months before the company was officially founded. However, today Facebook's lawyer says she's "unsure" whether Zuckerberg signed the 84% ownership contract.
Ceglia is also embroiled in an ongoing case over accusations from AG Andrew Cuomo that he defrauded his wood-pellet fuel customers. The state claims he took over $200,000 from customers while failing to deliver any products or refunds. It's unclear how Ceglia even became involved with Zuckerberg, but until it's settled, Facebook's assets are frozen. Now let's sit back and watch how it most likely played out—with champagne, sex and backstabbing!
