A 70 year old man should never apologize for anything. Screw em. They ones that know you don’t need it, the ones that don’t won’t accept it. And you’ll be dead in about 15 or 20 years.
Why bother?
At that age you should be Too Old To Give a ____!
Show-biz party list concerns, I'll bet - mostly to placate his wife. And if she ain't happy, he could lose half of his car collection.
So, his self-respect is expendable.