The thing that happens with good employees is that bad managers start to depend on them. So when they go, they leave a gaping hole in the organization that everyone tries to fill poorly. Not only was this employee doing their manager's job, but they had also personally bought a few essential work items. It's a little harder work at a camera place when your employee leaves with their own shutter button.

This person was fired for a completely stupid reason, which sounds pretty in line with the values of the company itself. And it seems like maybe this was the right time for this employee to get out anyway, given that the whole place folded just a few months later. It's one of those situations where the work is good, but the job itself could maybe use some improvements.