It's not as if I don't believe you, I just assume it must be pretty difficult to master all the fields -- both tested and untested. Also, you say that a person of your friend's intellect should deserve a better career, but that he himself is quite content with his current job and not interested in personal gain... Isn't that his limit?
I believe that any intelligent person can live without a real desire for acquisition, as long as that can be said sincerely by people who personally know them. Anyone who would claim statements like that on their own behalf sounds clearly like a victim of groupthink.