Calling Eliezer Yudkowsky one of the world's foremost intellects is the kind of cult-like behaviour that gives LW a bad reputation in some rationalist circles. He's one of the foremost Harry Potter fanfiction authors and a prolific blogger, who has also authored a very few minor papers. He's a smart guy but there are a lot of smart guys in the world.

He articulates very important ideas, but so do very many teachers of economics, ethics, philosophy and so on. That does not make them very important people (although the halo effect makes some students think so).

(Edited to spell Eliezer's name correctly, with thanks for the correction).