But that is also a lesson we all learned in life at some point. The moment you share information like that or even ask for permission, you share the responsibility. That other person might not like being (partially) responsible and therefore simply say no.

I once had a leg injury, felt good about doing a tour on the bicycle, as short distances were no problem. So I asked my doctor back then if it was OK. That moment, I shared the responsibility for my health. With my doctor being involved and a very small risk for further injury being present, he of course had no choice but to say no. No bicycle riding at all. In hindsight, not asking would have been the better option, as any risks were super small and riding worked fine. Yet, I put the burden on someone else to carry the responsibility with me instead of me alone.

tl;dr He just should have done it without saying anything. Big PR move with a spinning Ferrari going around the world... instead of this now.