Correct. More critically when he refused to recant that until he was sued, and even then later doubled-down on the accusation. It wasn't just the evil of saying that about someone who isn't a pedophile, it was that he did this in a moment of childish pique at his unworkable, ridiculous, suggestion of a submarine to rescue the kids, being rejected! By the pros who did end up rescuing every last one of those kids!

Exactly this. That was the watershed moment.

I guess we'll never know if this was the unveiling of the real person after finally deciding he had enough wealth to lower the veil (fuck you money, so to speak) ... or if the journey changed him into the slivering mess we see today.

Disappointing, either way.