Regardless, I still have faith in this company, and I am in it for the long haul, even if it takes 5-8 years for them to turn a dime.
If approached with a good/great offer, he/CEO would consider it, perhaps later on, even if he is presently only in a 'go it alone' mentality.
Anything can happen with a pinkie, and given 5-10 years, new, positive developments WILL happen!