Brownie Wise's amazing selling skills made her an overnight celebrity and the face of Tupperware, leading to a rift between her and Earl Tupper as jealousy started to set in, eventually leading to her departure from the company.
Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel, was fired from her position in 1958 after her male colleagues advised that it would be difficult to sell a company with a woman in such a prominent position on the board. She received only one year's salary without any stock in the company she helped build.
Cinderella Cosmetics was founded by Sydell Miller with the help of her husband Arnold Miller in 1958. The company was sold for $16 million and Sydell only received a one-year salary before it faded into obscurity.