He was asked why that airline and he specifically said it wasn’t to do with the airline, just that that particular flight suited his needs. He did say “it’s just because I have a grudge”, but he didn’t say what it was.

I also agree he died, mostly because they never found the money in circulation. None of the serial numbers they gave him were ever identified. So it seems he either never spent a cent of it, or he didn’t survive the jump.