From Peeing on Food to Wiping Out Millions: 17 Times One Person Completely Wrecked a Giant Company
You’d think the biggest threat to a company’s bottom line would be a competitor or a market crash. But sometimes, it’s just one person in a uniform with a grudge, a phone camera, or very bad judgment. From food contamination to digital sabotage, here are 17 real-life examples of workers turning corporate dreams into PR nightmares.
The Spam Soaker at Sam’s Club
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A 70-year-old man allegedly peed on hundreds of cans of Spam and Vienna sausages at a Florida Sam’s Club, costing over $10,000 in destroyed goods. He wasn’t in a rush either—he sat down on patio furniture afterward like it was just another Tuesday. He’s now facing felony criminal mischief charges.
Domino’s Pizza Disaster in North Carolina
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Two employees filmed themselves sneezing on ingredients and stuffing cheese up their noses, then uploaded it to YouTube. It went viral within hours. Domino’s had to shut down the franchise, spend a fortune on PR, and deal with a massive drop in trust. Hundreds of workers lost their jobs over it.
The Programmer Who Nuked Omega Engineering
Credit: Facebook
After being fired, a software engineer planted a logic bomb that deleted all of Omega Engineering’s design and production files. When it detonated, it wiped out 10 years of work. The damage was so bad the company never fully recovered, and the cost was pegged at over $10 million.
Intel’s $400 Million Trade Secret Theft
Credit: X
An employee named Biswamohan Pani downloaded gigabytes of confidential Intel files after taking a job at AMD. He thought he was slick by doing it during his last days at Intel, but got caught. Intel estimated the theft at $200–400 million worth of trade secrets. He went to prison.
Tesla’s Internal Leak Drama
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Elon Musk himself accused a Tesla employee of leaking confidential data to outsiders and modifying code in the manufacturing operating system. The leak caused internal delays, production issues, and probably way more legal scrambling than Tesla ever made public.
NotPetya Wipes Out Maersk
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This was technically malware, but it spread through Maersk’s network after someone opened an infected file internally. The result? 49,000 infected laptops, thousands of servers destroyed, and nearly $300 million in damages. All because of one wrong click.
ByteDance Intern Sabotages AI Training
Credit: Reddit
In a very 2025 move, an intern at ByteDance allegedly sabotaged internal AI systems, interfering with model training. The company sued for 8 million yuan, or about $1.1 million. It wasn’t some teenager goofing around either—this was deliberate and strategic, according to the court filings.
Go Mortgage Sabotage Lawsuit
Credit: Facebook
Go Mortgage accused a former executive of intentionally wrecking internal operations and causing six-figure losses. The suit says he stole confidential data and deleted important company records. Not just petty revenge—this guy had access to the levers of power and knew exactly what to break.
Energy Forecast Hack in Texas
Credit: bizjournals
An ex-employee at Energy Future Holdings used his old login and a VPN to manipulate internal energy forecast systems. He wasn’t even trying to steal anything—he just wanted to prove he could. His stunt caused $26,000 in direct losses and a mountain of new cybersecurity protocols.
Domino’s China Employee Dumps Sauce on the Floor
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A 2023 video showed a kitchen worker pouring sauce onto the dirty floor and scooping it back up into pans. It blew up on Chinese social media and forced a company-wide audit of hygiene practices. Domino’s China had to publicly apologize and shut stores for inspection.
Pittsburgh Food & Beverage Check Kiting
Credit: Facebook
This 1990s scandal saw executives using bank fraud to cover operating losses. The scheme imploded, and the company lost $31 million. Executives were jailed, the brand collapsed, and the whole mess became a textbook example of internal financial rot.
TikTok AI Intern Causes $10 Million Damage
Credit: X
In another ByteDance fiasco, a U.S.-based intern reportedly caused $10 million in damage by tampering with backend AI tools. It wasn’t clear what the motive was, but it sparked new internal rules about who can touch what—especially when it comes to generative tech.
Kelli Tedford’s Grocery Store Habit
Credit: Facebook
Over four years, Kelli Tedford allegedly peed on store products to relieve herself due to a bladder condition. The contamination led to thousands in wasted food and product destruction. It’s not malicious sabotage, but the outcome was the same: ruined goods and public backlash.
Lenovo Salesman Fired Over Bathroom Breaks
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A Lenovo rep working in Times Square was fired after repeatedly urinating outdoors due to a medical issue. He filed a $1.5 million discrimination suit claiming the company made no effort to accommodate his condition. Whether you believe him or not, the lawsuit cost the brand PR points.
UN Food Contract Scandal via Compass Group
Credit: Instagram
Compass Group, the catering company behind many school lunches and corporate cafeterias, got caught bribing UN officials for food supply contracts. That came after they were also found overcharging schools and slipping horse meat into beef products. They settled the whole thing for around $40 million.
Boeing Employee Blows the Whistle
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In 2007, a Boeing employee flagged major computer security flaws and got fired for it. The firing backfired. Boeing faced audits, bad press, and had to revamp its internal systems. This wasn’t about theft or destruction—just speaking up in a way the company didn’t like.
AI Team Self-Sabotage
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According to a 2025 survey, nearly a third of corporate AI teams admit to sabotaging projects they felt were poorly managed or threatening their jobs. That kind of quiet rebellion doesn’t always show up in headlines, but it wrecks timelines, budgets, and credibility from the inside.