The dev says himself that he is a junior, and it is very likely that the CEO of a tech firm has more than junior-level experience in technical matters. Even if he doesn't, it is still fine for a junior to ask his superiors for advice.
- Hey Joe CEO, which version control do you think I should use?
- None, that's an order!
It was a small (tech-adjacent, not strictly tech) company, and if memory serves right the owner built some of the site in question himself. I dont know that my friend reported directly to anyone inbetween, at least not when it came to technical matters anyway.