"Wasn't the CEO one of the passengers on this trip?"
Yes. He was the one piloting it.
"the craft was designed to reach depths of 4,000 meters (13,123 feet),
where the Titanic rested. But, according to Lochridge, the passenger
viewport was only certified for depths of up to 1,300 meters (4,265
feet), and OceanGate would not pay for the manufacturer to build a
viewport certified for 4,000 meters."
I dont think he was right in the head..
He was quoted as stating his worst fear was a situation where he could not ascend to the surface. You'd think his worst fear would be descending to 3X the depth the viewport was rated for.