> Apparently he was a terrible person. :shrug: Why do I care? I learnt a lot from him and never had to deal with his shit. Do my heroes have to be saints?

I find it curious that you seem to think that treating people with decency and respect is the realm of saints. That's a horrifically low bar.

What you've expressed is in my opinion one of the most detrimental sentiments in Silicon Valley (and sadly much of society) today. If you're brilliant, rich, talented, etc., the expectations for how you treat others drop immensely. Behaviors that would be considered severe character flaws in the less successful and admired are tolerated and brushed aside as the quirks of "complex" geniuses.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.