I've worked with people that do this and nothing will put you on my never-work-with-again list faster. Hamstringing entire teams because you're doing something only for yourself is toxic.
I wouldn't say this is the 'best' path, but certainly one that is rewarded a bit too often. Ultimately this leads to some really poor org structures and power imbalances, at which point I hope all the good people have left.
Sad but true, I've grown to realize that it's important to highlight the applications that just work or were easy to extend because of a little foresight, otherwise it's too easy to forget. As I've done this more, I realize manager appreciate the reminder and reward the effort for these drama-free applications.