Well said, if higher superior finds out about it later on, you would have succeeded in breaking the trust they once had in you, and like you said trust is essential in every business setup, and I believe it would be difficult to get the trust back, that's if you even get it back at all.Using business funds without seeking the consent of co-founder(s) is tantamount to fraud or theft. Trust is an essential part of business and if others found out, it might affect the business negatively if not properly resolved.