Things have taken an ugly turn in former 49er Patrick Willis’ post-playing career.
Willis is suing his former business parter, Eren Niazi, for millions according to a lawsuit filed last week in the Santa Clara County Superior Court.
According to Salvador Rodriguez of Inc., the retired linebacker alleges that Niazi committed fraud “so that he could enrich himself at (Willis’s) expense.” Willis is suing for $2 million in disputed real estate and unspecified monetary damages, with the lawsuit claiming that Willis “lost substantial sums through unsuitable and imprudent investments.”
The news is another blow for Niazi, who is currently being held without bail at the San Benito County Jail for an unrelated legal dispute last month, that lead to him being charged with use of a firearm, discharging a firearm, and endangering a child.
Willis shocked many when he elected to step away from football and into the world of Silicon Valley in early 2015. He became a full time employee at Niazi’s company, Open Source Storage, in May of that year, and was named executive vice president for partnerships and a board member.
Operations at the data-storage system company have reportedly come to a halt. Rodriguez visited the Campbell, CA headquarters recently only to find them empty, save for one employee who told the reporter to leave.
Earlier this year, Mashable published a profile that explained the unlikely partnership of the coder and professional athlete, who lived in the same South Bay neighborhood, and met during a chance encounter when Niazi saw Willis, still recovering from foot surgery, struggling to move bags into his house. Not knowing who Willis was, Niazi helped him and then promptly left, something that left an impression on Willis.
“Usually when people walk up to me, they kind of already know who I am and have some motive,” Willis said. “But he just insisted like, ‘Let me help you with that.’ Then he just took off. I thought it was cool.”
Niazi hired Willis soon after.
“A lot of guys come in with a big ego, but Patrick’s not like that,” Niazi said. “He’s just a total pleasure to work with.”