It seems to me (with no privileged information) that he suffered from sending a written copy to a selcet number who he expected would treat it in confidence, bu

It seems to me (with no privileged information) that he suffered from sending a written copy to a selcet number who he expected would treat it in confidence, but not all of whom did. I think it's great that he had a "thought piece" written, and I think it's great that he started to consult a few trusted colleagues. I think it's a real shame that the "think piece" was leaked. If he'd taken six months to go over it in person, orally, calmly and in seclusion with a few chosen colleagues then there may have been a chance to either declare it unworkable, or to fix the holes. As it is, that didn't happen and we get this mess. On the other hand, lots of people have seen - in some sense - real math in action. Maybe that's a good thing.