Clive Palmer abruptly sacked his old friend and trusted business associate in a terse phone call two-and-a-half years after promising him a $5 million job, a court has heard.
Bill Schoch, the former general manager of the Palmer Coolum Resort, says he was fired in December 2013 soon after sending an email to a senior Palmer employee clarifying the terms of what he thought was a $5 million contract.
The email prompted an abrupt phone call from the mining billionaire.
"You don't have a contract for $5 million," Mr Palmer allegedly said.
"Your f***ing contract is $150,000.
"Leave by Tuesday. Sue me."
Mr Schoch recalled the conversation in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday while giving evidence in his $4.6 million lawsuit against Mr Palmer and two Palmer companies.
He claims in June 2011 the wealthy businessman called him and said: "Bill, work for five years for $5 million, that's a million-dollar salary a year".
Mr Schoch, an accountant, said he'd known the mining magnate for 40 years and they'd had an on-off business relationship dating back to 1978.
Although his written contract specified a base salary of just $100,000 - later changed to $150,000 - Mr Palmer told him he'd get the extra money when royalties began flowing from Mineralogy's deal with Chinese-owned CITIC Pacific .
Mr Schoch said he initially worked as Mr Palmer's "No.2" in business negotiations but was later transferred to manage the Coolum resort.
When he hadn't received the promised bonus money by October 2013 he resolved to confront his boss but the billionaire changed the topic and "bolted", he said.
Soon after Mr Schoch was told he was being transferred to another company, before Mr Palmer allegedly sacked him by phone.
Mr Palmer and his companies Mineralogy and Queensland Nickel are contesting the lawsuit in a four-day trial that began on Monday.
It's unclear whether the billionaire MP will be called to the witness box.
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