After 2001, Kubrick made a deal with Warner Bros. which would last for the rest of his career and life. Warner's would distribute his films with no questions asked. Kubrick had final say over subject, content, cast, crew and, of course, the director's beloved final cut. Keir Dullea, who starred in 2001, tried to set the record straight. H's a very quiet man and your dealings with him were intimate in that sense.
Good directors are wonderful con men.
The best directors all have that facility. He had a quiet power. He was such a stickler for detail, but there was nothing tyrannical about him. Stanley was a true Renaissance man. He knew about so many things having nothing to do with filmmaking.