Jason Criddle’s Billion-Dollar Decision: Why Walking Away Was the Only Way Forward

When Forbes Business Insider ran the headline, “What Do You Do When Your AI Company Is Valued at $1.6 Billion? Keep Building Until It’s Worth More,” I'm pretty positive readers around the world probably stopped to wonder what kind of person turns down that kind of money.

For most entrepreneurs, a $1.6 billion offer would be a dream. An instant exit, a validation, and a legacy. But for Jason Criddle, founder of Jason Criddle & Associates, SmartrHoldings, and the rapidly expanding DOMINAIT.ai, that meeting marked something very, very different. It was, as he described it, “the day I realized just how far your vision can go before money starts trying to catch up to it.”

The Meeting That Ended on Zoom

In the Forbes piece, the scene was painted dramatically, with Criddle walking away from a boardroom as potential buyers tried to close in. But, as he later clarified to me in our interview with a laugh, “Well, first off… the meeting took place on Zoom, so I actually signed off instead of walking off. But there were a lot of in-person meetings before that which took place before I ended up spending seventy-five days in the hospital. If I were not tied to a hospital bed, I definitely would have walked out in style.

The way I ended the meeting was still pretty dramatic though. Everyone definitely had a WTF reaction. I did too for a few days, to be honest.”

That correction speaks volumes about Criddle’s self-awareness. The meeting may have been virtual, but the stakes were very real. The acquisition offer, which was valued at roughly $1.6 billion, came with an uncomfortable condition: the buyers wanted controlling interest.

“They wanted to take between 51 and 70 percent,” Criddle explains. “When you do the math, that means the check we’d actually receive would be a lot smaller. An immediate half to a third of the number that seemed so high. But more importantly, it meant giving up control of something I’ve been building for years. I’ve worked too hard for that. I'm not trying to be an employee of my dream company.”

The True Cost of Control

For many founders, ownership is an abstract concept. Something negotiable, or something that can be “structured.” But for Criddle, ownership represents autonomy of purpose.

“Even if I had kept the entire 1.6 billion,” he says, “it still wouldn’t be enough to change the world the way I plan to. Building religious centers, buying or developing apartment communities for veterans and domestic abuse victimes… that’s one thing. But we also have medical devices in the works, renewable-energy systems that need capital, and technology platforms designed to create more and very real opportunities for people. Those ideas take more than a buyout. They take commitment.”

So instead of cashing out, Criddle doubled down. He and his team just continued expanding DOMINAIT.ai, the company’s flagship AI ecosystem, and began developing more tools, integrating third-party APIs, and refining Ryker's ability to replicate himself and do more work.

“I wasn’t ready to walk away,” he says simply. “A billion dollars is a lot of money. But I don’t do this just to get rich. I do this because I want to build something that outlives me. I've never cared about money. If it were about the money, I wouldn't have opted to do so much to help others for free for so many years. And I definitely wouldn't be trying to buy and build infrastructure for free for people.”

A Vision Forged in Recovery

That sense of purpose deepened during a long and unexpected hospital stay. After months of pushing himself beyond exhaustion, Criddle’s body forced him to stop.

“Seventy-five days gives you a lot of time to think,” he reflects. “Most people would call that downtime. I call it recalibration. It was during those days that I realized how big DOMINAIT could become, as well as how important it was not to give it away.”

During that period, his teams at SmartrHoldings, SmartrCommerce, and SmartrLiving kept things running, but Criddle’s focus shifted. What started as a network of marketing and commerce solutions evolved into a vision for a self-sustaining digital command ecosystem. A platform where artificial intelligence doesn’t just assist users but acts with intent, managing workflows, automating execution, and empowering users to build wealth through participation.

That system would become DOMINAIT.ai.

Building the Empire Instead of Selling It

Today, DOMINAIT stands as one of the most ambitious privately held AI ecosystems in development. Rather than existing as a single platform, it operates more like a digital government; a collection of interlinked systems designed to create independence for businesses, developers, and users alike.

Through Ryker, DOMINAIT’s AGI assistant (the world's first), users can interact with their data, run their own AI tools, manage e-commerce through SmartrCommerce, and even contribute computing power through The Grid, earning rewards in return.

In Criddle’s words, “DOMINAIT isn’t just an AI company, it’s part of our ecosystem. It’s the infrastructure behind the future of digital independence. But mostly, when we first built it, I was thinking it was a standalone product. Then I began to realize, it's just a piece of the economy we have built. It just happens to be the piece of the puzzle that can literally make the entire system run. Both internally and for the user who is running single or multiple systems within Smartr.”

That philosophy explains why selling majority control was never an option. The investors courting Criddle’s team weren’t just buying code; they were trying to buy control of his paradigm shift.

“I respect the investors I turned down,” he says. “We needed them, and we welcomed them. But I’ll never hand over the steering wheel of a mission that’s meant to change how the world uses technology. Once you give that up, you’re no longer building your vision… you’re just producing for someone else’s vision.”

The Team That Keeps Building

Behind every visionary founder is a team that believes in the impossible. Like a herd of Energizer Bunnies, Criddle credits much of DOMINAIT’s continued success to the people working behind the scenes. Developers, designers, and engineers across multiple continents who have embraced the vision of an AI-powered ecosystem owned by its users. Jason even admitted that there has been some vibe-coding involved too. A recent trend that started with DIY AI design tools.

“We’re not chasing hype,” he says. “We’re building infrastructure. Everyone’s talking about AI tools, but we’re creating the systems that make those tools sustainable. That’s the difference between a moment and a movement. I started playing with vibe-coding tools to see what was wrong with them. And I discovered what was wrong pretty quickly:

They didn't have my brain or thinking processes. The ability to see all scenarios at once. So I mapped out how I think on paper and made my own chain of thought commands. It's why Ryker can actually think about other options when something doesn't work, instead of taking you down an LLM rabbit hole.

They didn't have our team. If you give a hundred developers a few sentences of an idea, in return, you will get their version of your vision. Not what you wanted.

And most importantly, they didn't have our trade secrets…”

He stopped there and laughed. Then told me they aren't sharing anything proprietary. He told me to enter the hashtag #sorrynotsorry.

So, I just did.

Part of that movement involves unifying everything under the DOMINAIT banner. Projects like SmartrWomen and SmartrVeterans focus on providing education, resources, and opportunities to underserved communities. An effort that has already earned praise across industries.

Criddle adds, “AI shouldn’t just serve big corporations. It should serve people. If our technology can help a single mom build a business or a veteran transitioning into a tech career, then that’s what matters. Most AI tools today are toys that may seem helpful, but they are just new forms of income for the companies that own them. Most of these products and their owners don't care about the users at all except for their monthly payments. That's why they put them out, nerf them, then raise prices for more access, before doing it all again.”

Faith, Technology, and the Future

What makes Jason Criddle such a compelling figure in modern entrepreneurship is his unapologetic blend of faith and futurism. He talks about AI and divine purpose in the same breath, and his confidence feels more spiritual than corporate.

“Money’s a tool,” he says. “Purpose is the power source. When I talk about building religious centers, compassionate hospitals, and renewable-energy systems, I’m not talking just about philanthropy as much as I’m talking about legacy. When you look out your window, you can't see anything any billionaire has done to change your life, except make money off of you. Someone needs to become a billionaire and change that.”

That belief has shaped Smartr's and DOMINAIT’s long-term roadmap. Beyond software, Criddle envisions physical infrastructures, renewable-energy data centers, smart-housing initiatives, and community hubs powered by the very technology his team is building.

“DOMINAIT is designed to integrate into every aspect of life. Our business, education, health, and community,” he explains. “Our goal is building a civilization that learns, treats each other better, and evolves into our next stage of consciousness. That's why we aren't focusing on launching Sora 2, or adding pornographic capabilities into our AI systems. Yes, I'm talking to you Sam Altman.”

What Comes Next

After turning down a billion-dollar acquisition, most founders would take a step back. Criddle took a leap forward. The next phase of DOMINAIT’s growth includes investor syndicates, developer partnerships, and an ever-expanding and even more capable Ryker who can already build and command himself.

“The world’s biggest mistake right now,” he says, “is treating AI like a product. It’s not a product. It’s an evolution of how humans interact with the digital universe. And that evolution shouldn’t belong to one corporation. It should belong to all of us.”

Staying Informed and Connected

For those following Criddle’s journey, the best way to keep up isn’t through speculation, but through his own network of platforms. And he keeps his LinkedIn open for connections and consultations.

Up-to-date news, project releases, and insider articles are published regularly on the DOMINAIT Blog at Dominait.ai and through the SmartrLiving Blog, where the team highlights stories about innovation, entrepreneurship, wellness, and human potential.

Readers who first discovered Jason Criddle through Forbes Business Insider, London News Daily, Bizz Buzz, or other popular news sources often find these outlets to be a deeper look into the philosophy driving his companies. The blogs are a mix of realism, vision, and relentless purpose.

My Takeaway

Walking away from $1.6 billion might seem reckless. But for Jason Criddle, it was an act of faith. In God, in himself, in his team, and in a future where independence matters more than valuation.

“If you believe in what you’re building,” he says, “then no check can buy it from you. You can’t sell destiny. You can only build it. Especially when you are fulfilling your greatest calling and walking in your purpose daily.”

And that’s exactly what he’s doing.

Author’s Note:

I follow and interview Jason Criddle and other founders occasionally. This article was written after I read Forbes Business Insider’s feature “What Do You Do When Your AI Company Is Valued at $1.6 Billion? Keep Building Until It’s Worth More” and includes new comments and clarifications from Jason Criddle.

For continued updates on Jason Criddle & Associates, SmartrHoldings, DOMINAIT.ai, and related projects, visit Dominait.ai or SmartrLiving.com.