This sounds like a shitty management chain that had no experience on how to properly manage a gifted developer. The developer was allowed to do whatever he wan

This sounds like a shitty management chain that had no experience on how to properly manage a gifted developer. The developer was allowed to do whatever he wanted, which meant that his Hero-complex because a positive feedback loop until everyone bought into it. If management were better and kept better tabs on Rick, they could have nipped this in the bud. Sounds like they instead let this fester until it turned into an untenable situation.