Troy Kearns

The REAL Cost of Construction (Stop Contractors From Overcharging You) #construction #contractor #realestateinvesting #landlord #rentalproperty

Someone told me, I want to to be @molzer I said, that's a tough deal, he's under a lot of pressure. I'm glad you said it, you're brave man and much respect to all you do. It's not easy taking on as much as you are and keeping it all together, you are not afraid to put your chips on the table. Happy Easter, Fortune Favors the bold

If you step back and look at all of what we are doing, the Aladdin Hotel nearing opening, the Holtman Building pushing an impossible timeline, a bus turned into a bus stop; it can look like things are clicking. Like it’s all working to perfection. And in some ways, it is! But what doesn’t get shown enough is what it takes to get here. The uncertainty. The pressure. The constant decisions with incomplete information. The other life stuff happening at the same time that no one sees, but still has to be carried. The last few months have forced a lot of change. And as a business owner who has millions of dollars of other people's money, technically employs hundreds of construction jobs, you don’t really get to pause and process it. You just keep moving. Because people are counting on you. Because timelines don’t care. Because if you don’t push things forward, they don’t move at all. That’s been the reality behind this silly thing called life. Progress on the outside. A lot of weight behind it. I think that’s something I’m starting to understand more clearly. The projects, the growth, the “momentum”… it all sits on top of a lot of things that don’t get talked about. And maybe that’s the point? Not everything feels good while you’re in it. Sometimes you’re just in the middle of it; figuring it out, adjusting, and continuing forward, whether you feel ready or not. One thing is for certain: there is no right time to do something.

@BillAckman @X Embarrassment is the ultimate negotiation. People know human beings dont want to be embarrassed you showing what really happened will make her rethink how far you are willing to go and now you have peace knowing you let it fly

I am reaching out to the @X community for advice with the likely risk of sharing TMI. I have been sufficiently upset about the whole matter that I have lost sleep thinking about it and I am hoping that this post will enable me to get this matter off my chest. By way of background, I started a family office called TABLE about 15 years ago and hired a friend who had previously managed a family office, and years earlier, had been my personal accountant. She is someone that I trusted implicitly and consider to be a good person. The office started small, but over the last decade, the number of personnel and the cost of the office grew massively. The growth was entirely on the operational side as the investment team has remained tiny. While my investment portfolio grew substantially, the investments I had made were almost entirely passive and TABLE simply needed to account for them and meet capital calls as they came in. While TABLE purchased additional software and other systems that were supposed to improve productivity, the team kept increasing in size at a rapid rate, and the expenses continued to grow even faster. While I would periodically question the growing expenses and high staff turnover, I stayed uninvolved with the office other than a once-a-year meeting when I briefly reviewed the operations and the financials and determined bonus compensation for the President and the CFO. I spent no time with any of the other employees or the operations. The whole idea behind TABLE was that it would handle everything other than my day job so that I would have more time for my job and my family. Over the last six years, expenses ballooned even further, employee turnover accelerated, and I became concerned that all was not well at TABLE. It was time for me to take a look at what was going on. Nearly four years ago, I recruited my nephew who had recently graduated from Harvard and put him to work at Bremont, a British watchmaker, one of my only active personal investments to figure out the issues at the company and ultimately assist in executing a turnaround. He did a superb job. When he returned from the UK late last year after a few years at Bremont, I asked him to help me figure out what was going on with TABLE. When I explained to TABLE’s president what he would be doing, she became incredibly defensive, which naturally made me more concerned. My nephew went to work by first meeting with each employee to understand their roles at the company and to learn from them what ideas they had on how things could be improved. He got an earful. Our first step in helping to turn around TABLE was a reduction in force including the president and about a third of the team, retaining excellent talent that had been desperate for new leadership. Now here is where I need your advice. All but one of the employees who were terminated acted professionally and were gracious on the way out (excluding the president who had a notice period in her contract, is currently still being paid, and with whom I have not yet had a discussion). The highest compensated terminated employee other than the president, an in-house lawyer (let’s call her Ronda), told us that three months of severance was not enough and demanded two years’ severance despite having worked at the company for only two and one half years. When I learned of Ronda's request for severance, I offered to speak with her to understand what she was thinking, but she refused to do so. A few days ago, we received a threatening letter from a Silicon Valley law firm. In the letter, Ronda’s counsel suggests that her termination is part of longstanding issues of ‘harassment and gender discrimination’ – an interesting claim in light of the fact that Ronda was in charge of workplace compliance – and that her termination was due to: “unlawful, retaliatory, and harmful conduct directed towards her. Both [Ronda] and I [Ronda’s lawyer] have spoken with you about [Ronda’s] view of what a reasonable resolution would include given the circumstances. Thus far, TABLE has refused to provide any substantive response. This letter provides the last opportunity to reach a satisfactory agreement. If we cannot do so, [Ronda] will seek all appropriate relief in a court of competent jurisdiction.” The letter goes on to explain the basis for the “unsafe work environment” claim at TABLE: “In early 2026, Pershing Square’s founder Bill Ackman installed his nephew in an unidentified role at TABLE, Ackman’s family office. [His nephew]—whose only work experience had been for TABLE where he was seconded abroad for the last four years to a UK watch company held by Ackman—began appearing at TABLE’s offices and conducting interviews of employees without a clear explanation of his role or the purposes of these interviews. During this period, he made a series of inappropriate and genderbased [sic] comments to multiple employees that created an unsafe work environment. Among other things, [his nephew] made remarks about female employees’ ages (“Tell me you are nowhere near 40”), physical appearance (“Your body does not look like you have kids”), as well as intrusive questions about family planning and sexual orientation (“Who carried your son? Who will carry your next child?”). These incidents were reported to senior leadership at TABLE and Pershing Square. Rather than being addressed appropriately, the response from senior management reflected, at best, willful blindness to the inappropriateness of [his nephew]’s remarks and, at worst, tacit endorsement.” The above allegations about my nephew had previously been brought to my attention by TABLE’s president when they occurred. When I learned of them, I told the president that I would speak to him directly and encouraged her to arrange for him to get workplace sensitivity training. The president assured me that she would do so. When I spoke to my nephew, he explained what he actually had said and how his actual remarks had been received, not at all as alleged in the legal letter from Ronda’s counsel. I have also spoken to others at the lunch table who confirmed his description of the facts. In any case, he meant no harm, was simply trying to build rapport with other employees, and no one, as far as I understand, was offended. Ironically, Ronda claims in her legal letter that TABLE didn’t take HR compliance seriously, yet Ronda was in charge of HR compliance at TABLE and the person who gave my nephew his workplace sensitivity training after the alleged incidents. In any case, Ronda, as head of compliance, should have kept a record or raised an alarm if indeed there was pervasive harassment or other such problems at the company, and there is no evidence whatsoever that this is true. So why does Ronda believe she can get me to pay her nearly $2 million, i.e., two years of severance, nearly one year of severance for each of her years at the company? Well, here is where some more background would be helpful. Over the last two months, I have been consumed with a major family medical issue – one of my older daughters had a massive brain hemorrhage on February 5th and has since been making progress on her recovery – and I am in the midst of a major transaction for my company which I am executing from a hospital room office next to her . While the latter business matter is publicly known, the details of my daughter’s situation are only known to Ronda because of her role at our family office. Now, let’s get back to the subject at hand. Unfortunately, while New York and many other states have employment-at-will, there has emerged an industry of lawyers who make a living from bringing fake gender, race, LGBTQ and other discrimination employment claims in order to extract larger severance payments for terminated employees, and it needs to stop. The fake claim system succeeds because it costs little to have a lawyer send a threatening letter and nearly all of the lawyers in this field work on contingency so there is no or minimal cash cost to bring a claim. And inevitably, nearly 100% of these claims are settled because the public relations and legal costs of defending them exceed the dollar cost of the settlement. The claims are nearly always settled with a confidentiality agreement where the employee who asserts the fake claims remains anonymous and as a result, there is no reputational cost to bringing false claims. The consequences of this sleazy system (let’s call it ‘the System’) are the increased costs of doing business which is a tax on the economy and society. There are other more serious problems due to the System. Unfortunately, the existence of an industry of plaintiff firms and terminated employees willing to make these claims makes it riskier for companies to hire employees from a protected class, i.e., LGBTQ, seniors, women, people of color etc. because it is that much more reputationally damaging and expensive to be accused of racism, sexism, and/or intolerance for sexual diversity than for firing a white male as juries generally have less sympathy for white males. The System therefore increases the risk of discrimination rather than reducing it, and the people bringing these fake claims are thereby causing enormous harm to the other members of these protected classes. So what happened here? Ronda was vastly overpaid and overqualified for the job that she did at TABLE. She was paid $1.05 million plus benefits last year for her work which was largely comprised of filling out subscription agreements and overseeing an outside law firm on closing passive investments in funds and in private and venture stage companies, some compliance work, and managing the office move from one office to another. She had a very good gig as she was highly paid, only had to go into the office three days a week, and could work from anywhere during the summer. Once my nephew showed up and started to investigate what was going on, she likely concluded that there was a reasonable possibility she would be terminated, as her job was in the too-easy-and-to-good-to-be-true category. The problem was that she was not in a protected class due to her race, age or sexual identity so she had to construct the basis for a claim. While she is female and could in theory bring a gender-based discrimination claim, she reported to the president who is female and to whom she is very close, which makes it difficult for her to bring a harassment claim against her former boss. When my nephew complimented a TABLE employee at lunch about how young she looked – in response to saying she was going to her 40-year-old sister’s birthday party, he said ‘she must be your older sister’ – Ronda immediately reported it to our external HR lawyer. She thereby began building her case. The other problem for Ronda bringing a claim is that she was terminated alongside 30% of other TABLE employees as part of a restructuring so it is very difficult for her to say that she was targeted in her termination or was retaliated against. TABLE is now hiring an external fractional general counsel as that is all the company needs to process the relatively limited amount of legal work we do internally. In short, Ronda was eminently qualified and capable and did her job. She was just too much horsepower for what is largely an administrative legal role so she had to come up with something else to bring a claim. Now Ronda knew I was a good target and it was a good time to bring a claim against me. She also knew that I was under a lot of pressure because on March 4th when Ronda was terminated, my daughter had not yet emerged from consciousness, she was not yet breathing on her own, and my daughter and we were fighting for her life. I was and remain deeply engaged in her recovery while at the same time I was working on finishing the closing for the private placement round for my upcoming IPO. Ronda also knew that publicity about supposed gender discrimination and a “hostile and unsafe work environment” are not things that a CEO of a company about to go public wants to have released into the media. And she may have thought that the nearly $2 million she was asking for would be considered small in the context of the reputational damage a lawsuit could cause, regardless of the fact that two years of severance was an absurd amount for an employee who had only worked at TABLE for 30 months. She also likely considered that I wouldn’t want to embarrass my nephew by dragging him into the klieg lights when her claims emerged publicly. So, in summary, game theory would say that I would certainly settle this case, for why would I risk negative publicity at a time when I was preparing our company to go public and also risk embarrassing my nephew. Notably, she hired a Silicon Valley law firm, rather than a typical NY employment firm. This struck me as interesting as her husband works for one of the most prominent Silicon Valley venture firms whose CEO, I am sure, has no tolerance for these kinds of fake claims that sadly many venture-backed companies also have to deal with. I mention this as I suspect her husband likely has been working with her on the strategy for squeezing me as, in addition to being a computer scientist, he is a game theorist. My only advice for him is to understand more about your opponent before you launch your first move. All of the above said, gender, race, LGBTQ and other such discrimination is a real thing. Many people have been harmed and deserve compensation for this discrimination, and these companies and individuals should be punished for engaging in such behavior. Which brings me to the advice I am seeking from the X community. I am not planning to follow the typical path and settle this ‘claim.’ Rather, I am going to fight this nonsense to the end of the earth in the hope that it inspires other CEOs to do the same so we shut down this despicable behavior that is a large tax on society, employment, and the economy and contributes to workplace discrimination rather than reducing it. Do you agree or disagree that this is the right approach?

Less than a week since Blue Collar Business Blueprint dropped, and the response has been insane. I wrote this book to help everyday people take control of their money, build wealth in a predictable way, and avoid costly mistakes I’ve seen too many make. If you want practical business and real estate strategies you can actually use to grow your income and set your family up for the long haul, grab your copy at the link in my bio. 🔥

You do not need to be perfect to get started. You just need a plan. That is what I am giving you on March 25th at 6PM CST. A clear path to your first real estate deal, along with the tools and strategies to help you move forward with confidence. And if you have questions, I will answer them live. Let’s take that first step together. RSVP using this link: takeaction.troykearns.com/rsvp Grab your spot today!

Imagine where you’d be a year from now if you closed your first real estate deal. This Wednesday the 18th I’m showing you how it actually happens. We’ll cover: ✅ Getting your first deal ✅ Wholesaling vs flipping ✅ The mistakes to avoid ✅ Tips that speed up the process ✅ Exit strategies investors use And we’ll finish with a LIVE Q&A. It’s free. Just rsvp and show up. Grab your spot now: takeaction.troykearns.com/rsvp

Nobody teaches this in school. You can spend 4 years learning theory… Or spend 90 days learning how to close your first real estate deal. This Wednesday the 18th I’m breaking down: ✅ Wholesaling vs flipping ✅ The biggest beginner mistakes ✅ Tips that speed up your first deal ✅ Exit strategies investors actually use Plus a LIVE Q&A where you can ask me anything. It’s free. No excuses. RSVP: takeaction.troykearns.com/rsvp

Most people watching this will still be in the same place next year. Not because they can’t succeed… Because they never take action. This Wednesday the 18th I’m teaching: ✅ How to get your first real estate deal ✅ Wholesaling vs flipping ✅ The biggest beginner mistakes ✅ Tips and strategies to move faster Plus a LIVE Q&A. It’s free. No excuses. RSVP: takeaction.troykearns.com/rsvp

The 9–5 isn’t bad. It’s just not scalable. If you’re ready to build income that doesn’t depend on a clock: Free Live Training| This Wednesday 6PM CST From First Deal to Scalable Real Estate Machine. RSVP now: takeaction.troykearns.com/rsvp Or head to the link in my bio. Action changes everything.

@PeterMallouk Peter this is so TRUE. I would love to have you on my Podcast and talk

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

@molzer Looks badass

Coming June 2026👀

Wednesday night is for action takers. I’ll teach you how to close your first deal or scale to predictable deal flow—LIVE, step by step. 📌 Don’t miss out: takeaction.troykearns.com/rsvp

Learn how to close your first deal or scale to predictable deal flow with me LIVE Feb 25th, 6PM CST. Grab your spot at the link in my bio, or head to takeaction.troykearns.com/rsvp right NOW!

@BernieSanders You dont want to solve anything just make people upset. Enjoy your spoils and political pov

The billionaire class is on the warpath against working families. They want more and more, and they will not be satisfied until they have it all. Instead of spending tens of millions on ads against a wealth tax, we have a better idea: Start paying your fair share of taxes.

If you want your first deal in the next 90 days… this is where it starts. Free live training 🗓 Wednesday, Feb 18th ⏰ 6PM CST No fluff. No theory. Just the step-by-step plan to actually get a deal done. Link in my bio or head to takeaction.troykearns.com/rsvp

The greatest accomplishment of @DonaldJTrumpJr should be Healthcare for all. Competitive to China or swiss or any nation that heavily taxes its citizens. We pay too many taxes and too high insurance. Healthcare is a human right and corruption has killed our insurance and healthcare companies. Time to make it a right vs a reason people file bankruptcy @realDonaldTrump

Will @Royals stay in KC proper. Great stadium sites downtown including next to downtown will @QuintonLucasKC seal the deal or will both teams be gone because of lack of Vision. Its not about today its about tomorrow.

@ThomasFriestad @QuintonLucasKC Nothing will happen here. The area is riddled with derelict buildings and now will have derelict stadiums. Vision is building a major sports complex on the Missouri River where KCI is. Develop the riverfront and the rest of the city will reap the rewards. Attract, top talent like @finkd @elonmusk @Google high income jobs become a visionary. Build a tunnel from MCI to Downtown by getting the @boringcompany out here. Stop taxing highly and have a growth mindset and you will attract big business, high paying jobs vs. crappy hostile WOKE political orgizations. IF THE RIVERFRONT IS DEVELOPED with jobs and economics, @LauraKellyKS will stop eating our lunch. Growth is Growth.

With the Chiefs and Royals decamping from Truman Sports Complex, officials must decide whether to go for it ... or data centers. bizjournals.com/kansascity/new…

@GrantCardone @realDonaldTrump @GrantCardone I'd like you to come on my Podcast and discuss this issue in depth. The solution, because it seems like a court order would solve many of these problems

Malibu's "Carbon Beach" before the fires.... and today! Everything gone on both sides of me - Nothing has been done for my neighbors and I am still unable to rebuild. Please @realDonaldTrump come handle this because California won't or can't!

Imagine future you, 90 days from now. Are you celebrating your first deal or still thinking about it? Join me LIVE Wednesday, Feb 18th at 6pm CST — FREE training + live Q&A to cover how you can get your first deal in the next 90 days. No excuses, grab your seat now 👇 takeaction.troykearns.com/rsvp