He was responsible the ship and its passengers considering he was the owner. But he was not the only one who was responsible in one way or another for the ship and its passengers. <br />I cannot fault him for the instinct to survive, especially since he knew the Titanic was going to sink. But at the same time, I don't know if climbing into the lifeboat as he did was the best course of action. Yes, it was there and there was a seat for him...but when he decided not to add extra lifeboats, he had to know that the Titanic did not have enough seats for everyone. So although there was no one around to get in, he could have found someone. Third class passengers didn't make it because some of them just did not know how to get to the boat deck. There were also other passengers on the other side of the ship, attempting to get into different lifeboats. Maybe more of the men passengers could have been saved and there would have been enough room for some of the couples to stay together.
I do not fault him for wanting to live, because I am sure that Captain Smith and Mr. Andrews did not want to end their lives either. But you have to decide, as the owner of the White Star Line, which is more important- your own life or the passengers on your ship? I would have tried to save myself, but I would also have made sure I saved as many people I could...He saved some, but he could have saved more.