That’s not a punishment. It’s a financial decision.
If you can boil it all down to a simple financial decision so be it. I don’t see it that way at all.
The good news is he still has his gold medal(s?). No one can take that away from him.
I do hope you always walk the exactly perfect straight and narrow because if you don’t and get hit sideways by a bunch of slander and lies undeserved; I hope you remember this conversation.