I think it is a good thing that i didn't even read all of the negative things about him, well, let me say, i didn't know of them. Right here, in my country, we all know him as the wealthiest man, at that time, who did incredible things, and that is what i still had in my head, till date, even most of us too. A prophet is indeed, not valued in his country. Maybe the expectations people placed on him were too much, because, how could someone save lot of whales, provide cheaper alternatives, give better standard of living, and help the trade of a country, and still not be a hero or appreciated?. Right here, doing half of all he did, he would have been imprinted on our local currency or have so many monuments named after him.
What he did is purely business. The higher the price, the lower the quantity demanded, and vice versa. Meaning, with consumer behaviour, who always want to maximize purchasing power, you will always go for cheaper alternatives, with better satisfaction derived from such goods, except for luxury goods. The cheaper alternative did the job, and it wasn't harmful, it's normal for consumers to go for it. I think this hatred might have been perpetrated by his competitors who lost ground on their consumers.
I am tempted to continue. Let me just stop here. Hahahahaha. I love the disclaimer you put right at the end.