Nepotism Princess Tries To Pass Off Coworker’s 15-Page Report As Hers Right In Front Of CEO

A hardworking employee slaved over a detailed 15-page trade-show report for weeks, printed fresh copies, and casually handed one to the boss’s golf-buddy’s spoiled daughter. Barely ten seconds later, that same entitled coworker strutted straight into the CEO’s office, beaming, and chirped, “I just put this together for you!” as if she’d ever touched a spreadsheet in her life.

The gall was nuclear. Yet the real magic happened when the actual author strolled in right behind her, smiled sweetly, and asked for “their” report back to fix some numbers while locking eyes with the stunned CEO. Minutes later the thief emerged scarlet-faced after a closed-door reality check. Instant karma, perfectly served.

Let’s be honest: walking into a job because Daddy plays 18 holes with the CEO already raises eyebrows, but straight-up stealing a 15-page report you couldn’t explain if your corner office depended on it? That’s next-level bold (and dumb).

Workplace psychologists have a name for this cocktail of nepotism and credit-grabbing: “entitled dependence mixed with impression management.” Translation: some people believe family connections give them a permanent hall pass while they hustle to look competent to higher-ups. The result? Morale tanks, good employees jump ship, and the company slowly circles the drain.

A 2022 study on Lithuanian organizations found strong positive correlations between nepotism/favouritism and negative climate factors like mistrust, insecurity, and incompatibility of interests, with organisational climate explaining nearly 69% of the variance in nepotism practices.

Dr. Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School professor and pioneer of psychological safety research, describes it as “a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.” In environments rife with credit-stealing and favoritism, this safety evaporates as people hold back ideas to avoid having them hijacked, leading to silence and stagnation.

That quote hits this story like a laser. The original poster wasn’t just defending their own work, they were protecting the basic expectation that effort should equal recognition. By calmly asking for “their” report back in front of the CEO, they exposed the theft without throwing a tantrum. Masterclass in professional revenge.

Additionally, a separate study on “knowledge hiding” (including credit theft) across 1,500+ workers found it extremely common, with victims retaliating by withholding knowledge and creating toxic dynamics that cripple idea-sharing.

In this case, the coworker’s stunt was a neon sign screaming “I don’t respect anyone who actually does the work.” The Redditor’s calm “oops, wrong copy” move was pure genius: zero yelling, maximum exposure. Suddenly the CEO sees exactly who’s carrying the team and who’s just carrying a designer handbag.

Moments like these are rare, delicious proof that sometimes the quiet ones serve the coldest dish. Watching that entitled tomato-face exit the office probably felt better than a raise, a promotion, and free coffee combined. Petty? Maybe. Satisfying? One hundred percent.

Healthy workplaces fix this with clear contribution tracking (shared docs with edit history, public praise that names names, and performance reviews that actually ask peers for input). Until then, keep your files watermarked, your receipts printed, and your eyebrow game strong.

Let’s dive into the reactions from Reddit:

Some people exposed code theft by leaving identifiable traces like personal variable names or hidden credits.

Some people publicly called out credit-stealers during presentations or meetings.

Some people took revenge on lazy or credit-stealing group project members by deliberately withholding help.

Some people highlighted broader issues like nepotism or the importance of protecting work from thieves.

Sometimes the universe hands you a front-row seat to instant karma, and this Redditor got the deluxe package. One sentence, one raised eyebrow, and five minutes behind a closed door later, the office princess learned that golf connections only get you so far, competence still matters.

So tell us: was marching in right behind her genius or risky? Would you have asked her to summarize the report on the spot? And how do you protect your work from corporate credit vampires? Drop your stories below, we’re all ears!