[corin_]

I don't know or respect Sam (well, don't respect him more or less than anyone else reading about him), but 'success' depends on many things, it's possible for idiots to find it and for geniuses to miss it, whether because they aimed too high, or were with the wrong people, or luck, or...

But when it comes to personal opinions/endorsements it comes down to more than what can be written on a CV. I'm sure you judge your friends and colleagues based on your personal take on them rather than by looking at a checklist of their achievements, so why would it be different for people who know Sam?