I was going to respond same thing :sweat:. this seems like _normal_ startup hiring based on my experiences. People pass, people make stuff up to pass. Sticker shock could have factored in for CEO. I def empathize with the author. They thought they were a shoe in, thought everything was smooth and then wasn't responded to promptly, that sucks. I'm sure it was a rollercoaster during the time, excited about the new role, opportunity and $ and then denied for no known reason.
Not sure if it's reasonable to jump to illegal or unethical information?