Definitely not a ruse. I worked for a startup run by a wannabe Jobs/Musk type about a decade ago and when the budget started getting tight they pulled the same

Definitely not a ruse. I worked for a startup run by a wannabe Jobs/Musk type about a decade ago and when the budget started getting tight they pulled the same playbook: demanding unreasonable hours, putting hard working people on the spot about what they do, summarily firing all contractors etc.. it was a bad time and the C Suite eventually got fired.