• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Gravity Payments

Court Rules That the ‘$70k CEO’ Is Not Overpaid in Suit Filed by Brother

Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Down Arrow Button Icon
Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 11, 2016, 12:31 PM ET

Dan Price, the Gravity Payments CEO known for pledging a minimum salary of $70,000 to all his employees, isn’t overstuffing his own coffers, a judge ruled Friday.

That comes after his brother and co-founder for the credit card payments company, Lucas Price, alleged that Dan Price had overpaid himself and misused company funds for personal expenses last year.

But a Superior Court judge in Seattle, Theresa B. Doyle, ended that dispute after a three-week long trial, ruling that the elder of the two, Lucas, did not give sufficient evidence that Dan had over-compensated himself and violated Lucas’ rights as a minority shareholder. Moreover, Dan’s compensation decisions in 2013 and 2014 were made in “good faith,” Inc. reported.

Additionally, Lucas has been ordered to pay Dan’s legal fees—estimated to be around $1 million, Dan told Inc. last year.

Dan, who owns 67% of the company, rose to prominence after setting the minimum wage for his company’s 120-some employees to $70,000 last year. He also pledged to cut his own pay from $1.1 million to $70,000. Just a few weeks after that news broke, Lucas Price, with about 33% of the payments company, sued his brother after years of sparring, back-and-forth, about how to compensate Dan. Lucas however signed the complaint before Dan made that announcement.

According to court filings seen by Inc., Dan earned $1.1 million in 2014 and 2013, $2.04 million in 2012, and $909,000 in 2011. In 2008, the two brothers agreed to restructure their fast-growing company, giving Dan a majority stake, while Lucas would no longer manage day-to-day activities.

Related: When This Startup’s ‘Shark Tank’ Deal Fell Through, Tinder’s CEO Pounced

In a Facebook post following the ruling, Dan wrote: “My love for my brother is unconditional. I will never take for granted the incredibly valuable role Lucas played in creating our company.”

Fortune has reached out to Lucas’ attorney, Greg Hollon, and will update this story when he responds.

About the Author
Lucinda Shen
By Lucinda Shen
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

CryptoBinance
Binance has been proudly nomadic for years. A new announcement suggests it’s finally chosen a headquarters
By Ben WeissDecember 7, 2025
2 hours ago
Big TechStreaming
Trump warns Netflix-Warner deal may pose antitrust ‘problem’
By Hadriana Lowenkron, Se Young Lee and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
6 hours ago
Big TechOpenAI
OpenAI goes from stock market savior to burden as AI risks mount
By Ryan Vlastelica and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
6 hours ago
InvestingStock
What bubble? Asset managers in risk-on mode stick with stocks
By Julien Ponthus, Natalia Kniazhevich, Abhishek Vishnoi and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
6 hours ago
EconomyTariffs and trade
Macron warns EU may hit China with tariffs over trade surplus
By James Regan and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
6 hours ago
EconomyTariffs and trade
U.S. trade chief says China has complied with terms of trade deals
By Hadriana Lowenkron and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
6 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China 'they can build a hospital in a weekend'
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook for the metaverse. Four years and $70 billion in losses later, he’s moving on
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says Europe has a 'real problem’
By Katherine Chiglinsky and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
11 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.