You know those complicated policies that big enterprises have, the ones startups love to mock? This is why they have them. :(<p>You have two classes of tools... carrot and stick. His stick is much bigger than yours. He can destroy your company, you can sue him for it with whatever you have left after the company is destroyed. So stick is a problem.<p>Carrots may work better... ongoing stock options, contingent on destruction of the data, certified by an expert and an oath? Basically bribe him.<p>Yet another alternative - do you <i>have</i> to fire him? Why? Maybe do a Peter Principle thing, and &quot;promote&quot; him to a less responsible position, maybe something where he has no reason to touch production data anymore? Or start a new project, and put him in charge of it?