Edgar Bronfman Jr. is the CEO of Warner Music—remember, the man who took away our Napster back in the day? He's also, according to the millionaire who's suing him, a lying, cheating criminal! Richard Snyder, the former CEO of Simon & Schuster, says he was hired by Bronfman in early 2002 in order to advise him about the formation of Warner Music Group, but that he later "abruptly severed his relationship" with Snyder" and then BROKE HIS 'PUTER. Ahem, more specifically, he "caused his agents (including full-time employees of Warner Music) to wrongfully tamper with Snyder's computer, rendering it incapable of retrieving e-mails, business records, and other materials relevant to the claims." That's from the lawsuit which we were sent today, along with a very vivid press release, by a publicist who Snyder has apparently retained. We eagerly await the arrival of a press release about Bronfman's countersuit! Maybe it will come with some sort of goodie bag. Our favorite part of the suit is after the jump. It's entitled "Bronfman Jr.'s Illusory Record of Success," which is kind of a good name for a novel, which is what it resembles!

In contrast [to Snyder] Bronfman Jr.'s "climb" to the top did not derive from any achievement beyond the fact of his birth.

Bronfman Jr. was born in 1955 and attended prep school in New York City. By choice, his education stopped there. During the ensuing twelve years, Bronfman Jr. dabbled in the entertainment business as a songwriter and produceFailing to distinguish himself, in 1982 he went to work for his father in the family liquor business - Seagram Company Ltd. ("Seagram"). After three months of "training," he was appointed Seagram's Managing Director for all of Europe; two years later, he was made President, House of Seagram (Seagram's marketing department); five years later, he became COO of Seagram Company Ltd.; and, in 1994, he became CEO.

Immediately upon assuming his CEO position, Bronfman Jr. set in motion the demolition of Seagram, by moving its assets into the mercurial world of entertainment, his personal passion, but an industry in which he had no senior-level executive experience. Bronfman Jr.'s decision culminated in one of the great business disasters in North American history.