Small company owner belittled for the last time, fires project manager on the spot for acting like he owns the place: 'I'm sorry, but who is paying his salary?'

When you start your career path, you want to work your way up. Everybody knows that. It's different for every field. Some more toxic than others. Some not toxic at all! But it's pretty obvious that you can't just gossip your way to the top… First of all, this isn't a sorority popularity contest. Second of all, that game of telephone you're playing can very much end up at the top and not convey the message you were intending. For example, if you're telling everyone that you are the big boss around this town, when really you are just a hire hand, you might just tick off the people who are actually paying you. You know what happens when you do that? You get fired. 

This project manager seemed to think just talking himself up was the way to get a promotion. He constantly belittled the owner for the small company he worked for behind his back. However, a small company means that your words can and will very easily make it around the office. So when the actual owner of the company you work for, aka the person who signs off on your paychecks, here's you have been belittling them, it's most definitely not going to end pretty for you.