Earlier quoted context omitted.
“70 of the most interesting people in the world” Then you get to check the list and it’s random professionals who are mostly unknown outside of their respective professional field. Sure, that’s not boasting.
Also, the other two bits: 10k subscribers to a mailing list. Oh wow! So impressive. I managed niche newsletters with up to 35.000 subscribers in the past, built by the company I was freelancing for. In Italian. I didn’t have the reach of English. I consider it a very average work and achievement, frankly. If I’d ever put that in a CV here in Germany, companies would LAUGH at me and even be upset about such formulatio…
>> 100.000 views. Again, So what? A column I wrote last month had 120.000 views and 800 comments
Here is the difference: You can inherit a million dollars from your dad and buy a Lamborghini. But it is more impressive if you start from nothing and buy your own Kia.
Similarly, when you say a "column you wrote" without mentioning the crucial bit: on whose platform? - without any context, it is actually very hard to say if it was a big deal. Also, can you do it consistently? (I suppose the author thinks he can). Can you follow a process and help others do the same (which presumably is what the author has tried to do)? It is the difference between winning the lottery and making a million dollars, versus building a business system and making an impressive 6 figure profit. Clearly, there is nothing to learn from the former. And usually there is something to learn from the latter.
Whether or not you think his credentials are impressive is one thing. But the data you are using to back up the criticism isn't making a lot of sense TBH.