You're assuming that this was a rational, conscious decision on his part. I've had some dealings with him that would lead me to conclude that this is just his personal inclination. He threatened me & my company over a wholly imagined transgression (and ceased completely when our attorney asked for documentation).

Believe me or not, the main point is that working backwards from behavior to the thought process that led to it is a difficult if not impossible endeavor, and there's no reason to assume rationality in the absence of information to the contrary. I wouldn't draw any great lessons from this particular situation.