None whatsoever. Given Apple's very well known proclivity to elevate their design/product teams, it's probably more likely to have come from someone on that side of the fence anyway. But it's pretty popular to deride non-technical people (especially those in management) as know-nothings, so it's an easy reach.

It seems like a business thing where thinness=money. Can't be from any other angle.

This is absolutely not the way Apple works. "Business" people don't make decisions like this at Apple, they get made by the Industrial Design team, backed by the Product Design (mechanical engineering) team. Business people market the products, price the products, procure all of the components and make sure they are put together in the millions, but they absolutely do not set the design direction of the company.

How about thinner is lighter, which generally makes the consumer happier?

idk - do consumers really notice if a laptop is 30grams lighter or if it will get them through a full day of work and won't hurt the joints in their fingers after a marathon of typing.

Apple makes the best laptop, no doubt but this laptop sucks and the direction they are going means it's just going to get worst.

Generally speaking, by the time consumers notice (or not notice, as the case may be), they've already purchased the machine. So it's largely irrelevant.

Except Apple have been shaving full pounds and more off of their laptops, don't know where you got the wrong idea that it's only 30 grams.

And yes, knocking a 5-pound laptop down to 3 pounds is quite noticeable and a huge boon.