It honestly just seemed like the fair thing to do to go with the people who got the most votes

Some people actively told their friends not to vote. The fact that you are repeating this non sense that what you did seemed like it was the fair thing to do is outrageously shocking.

Part of the problem with going with vote-based systems is that they are easy to game.

This is irrelevant. There was no vote-based system in the contest.

it seems that far more people are happy with the contestants who got chosen than who are upset that we chose to defer to the will of the crowd.

You have provided no objective proof of this and even if more people were happy with the result that wouldn't make what you did fair. We've already established it wasn't fair.

I take responsibility for this one.

Responsibility for what exactly? Changing the rules unfairly? If so why not make a formal apology for it and not just a simple comment on my post? Also, why not take full responsibility and offer what was supposed to be offered initially plus what has already been given?

Also, why isn't Steemit Inc's CEO not officially retracting his incorrect statement?