I read the article and it's clear to me that he was mistreated. The last example you reference, however, is still true.
> This may be unpopular to some here, but it is dangerous to let one man run a substantial part of the company's operations.
A company can't have so much knowledge critical to operations tied up in the mind of one individual. The "retire or die" comment was crass but it applies regardless of age.
It's irresponsible to allow a situation to continue in which the departure of a single individual would completely derail a project for months.
Edit -- case in point:
> SpaceX is one one those sink or swim places filled with type A personalities. You need to be ‘useful’
> He should of been less concerned with his position and more of a team player.
> This may be unpopular to some here, but it is dangerous to let one man run a substantial part of the company's operations.