There are certainly exceptions, but in a very practical sense if the founder didn’t put the majority of capital into the business it’s unlikely and unrealistic that they’ll get some sort of special protection. The thing many founders struggle to comprehend when taking on outside capital is that there comes a point fairly early on when it’s not really your company anymore… you just work for it as a minority shareholder.
The other investors have a fiduciary duty to their own stakeholders that generally comes before the founder’s desire for special treatment. Good founders that know they’re not the right ones to lead the next phase of the business know when to step aside. Founders that don’t and try to cling on when they’ve long passed the threshold of their own competence to lead aren’t doing anyone favors by trying to cling on.
The other investors have a fiduciary duty to their own stakeholders that generally comes before the founder’s desire for special treatment. Good founders that know they’re not the right ones to lead the next phase of the business know when to step aside. Founders that don’t and try to cling on when they’ve long passed the threshold of their own competence to lead aren’t doing anyone favors by trying to cling on.