His money, his rules. It is earmarked for a college fund. The mistake the father made is to tell him about the fund in the first place.
I had a fund for my son, never told him about it, not even his mother. He went to school on a scholarship, didn’t cost much for me but it did cost him commitment to serve in the military. When he graduated cum laude with an engineering degree, pre-med qualifications and a minor in German and had been out a year I wrote him a check, the money was meant for him. He used the money wisely but I expected he would.
Had he decided something else like starting a business, I’d have done similarly to what this father did. After 40 years I do not have a spoiled, mindless, brat.
“The mistake the father made is to tell him about the fund in the first place.”
Good on you as it was what I was thinking. When the kid knows the money is there they may have little incentive to get a scholarship and/or take a job commitment for schooling/trade.
However, I also think the kid was not taught the proper respect after calling his dad an Ahole. Should boot the kid out the door.