I had several interactions with the current <company> CEO back when they were a very, very small operation, and while "asshole" might be too strong of a word, I got a very strong "I don't give a shit about you beyond what you can do for me" vibe. Does that qualify as "mean" as used in this essay? No idea.
"I don't give a shit about you beyond what you can do for me"
This describes 96% of my interactions with all people, everywhere. It's nice that there is the other 4%, but they're not important in daily life.
If that surprises you, you may still be a young person who hasn't learned to see past the routine, reflexive veneer of niceness the 96% erect. Or I may be tragically cynical. But either way, once you adjust your expectations accordingly, disappointment and shock become less of a useless distraction.
I don't think it's fair to tell a story like that without strong evidence to back it up.
Actually, telling it might be fine. Believing it, not so much.
I know how fashionable it is to hate on <company>, but is this what it's come to? An unsubstantiated story about how someone felt "vibes"? When the CEO didn't actually do anything?
Judge a person not by how they treat their superiors (Jessica, Paul) but how they treat those weaker than them, or those who can't do anything for them.
You are happy to take Paul's intuitions as data, but the intuitions of real people NOT in a position of power, who interacted with this guy in a place where he will show his true colors, you will dismiss.
Short answer is no, but it's as much what was not said, as what was. It's probably something akin to the "x-ray vision" experience. Mine is probably much weaker than jl's - it doesn't trigger that often, but when it does I am fairly confident in it.
I've edited my comment to remove identifying information because I don't feel like getting into more detail, and I agree that anonymous character attacks on the Internet are not that helpful.
Note: edited to remove identifying information.