I don't think it's validation in the sense we normies felt. For regular, sane men it's more of a fitting in and being desirable kind of validation, women do the same in that age.

For him and other powerful people (but also some regular men) it's a power thing. Many powerful people are narcissists, and they live constantly under the dissonance of illusion of grandeur and inferiority complex. Essentially forcing their will onto others is a way to mitigate the latter.