So how do you deal with the "brilliant jerk" who is the CEO's golden chlid?

Seriously - this is one of the biggest challenges of my professional career. I have team members that have begged to not be on projects with him and others that have threatened to quit if he ever moves into a leadership role.

Has anyone dealt with this?

Yup. Fucking intimidate the prick.

@illusion466 this person is the one that cannot work with anyone. Condescending, subversive, puts people against one another.

I think you may have misunderstood

YES, FUCKING YES

and he's the vp of CEO golden Boy

Hey... I'm a brilliant jerk, I take offense.

So here's my defense:

Everything is about communication without losing face.

1. When jerk is condescending, find a coworker, sit down with jerk. Two against one makes your complaint more plausible.

2. Whatever you do, don't turn it into a trial or interrogation. You just sit down with jerk, tell him/her that their way of presenting facts doesn't work for you. Make it sound like the weakness is on both sides and you want to meet in the middle, so jerk doesn't feel the need to be defensive.

3. Sit down with CEO (again, with coworker), and tell them you appreciate jerk for their contributions (even if you don't), but that jerk has some communicative issues. Propose to send jerk on training. If culture within the company is that everyone works on their team skills, jerk can do this without losing face.

I do also agree with @illusion466 though — a professional doesn't avoid, they either suck it up, or fix it by communicating in a deescalating way.

oh brilliant jerk

mine not brilliant

just dictator jerk