Distasteful? He is saying that the Minsky's work is a direct ancestor to his own. If you read the rest of that paragraph he is praising and thanking Minsky for the foundation he laid.
Yeah, he says that – between the lines. He also never misses an opportunity to mention how brilliant he is and how his Wolfram products are the greatest tools in the world.
I did not find it to be inappropriate. He was noting his interactions with Minsky and the connections between their work which is a standard and useful thing to do in this kind of situation.
That is indeed quite distasteful.