@alex He's admitted in private conversations to be a manipulator, he says and does things merely because that makes people like him and let him get away with stuff. Manipulation is not something good people do, it's not something foolish people do, it's what evil ones do. You'd have a point if your were talking about someone like the Silk Road guy, not this dude.

The article you link exists to make people fell bad for him. You're sympathizing with him because he happens to be vegan and you're falling into his game. He genuinely believes people ate beneath him and his actions reflect that.