Most large companies don't have a place for him either. Telling your boss directly he's wrong (even if he is) is a career staller, and going over his head will definitely give you enemies.
There are probably quite a few "Walters" here on HN who said "F* it, I'll do my own startup".
It's funny that you would say that, because it seems there are few environments better suited to people like Lukacs than academia. The way they see it: sure, the politics is a pain in the ass, but at least they're in an environment where they can make very substantial contributions to the world. The pain of politics is worth doing what they love.
Disclosure: my father is a very well known research professor in his field, who is always complaining about campus politics. "So why are you still there?" always gets the response, "Where else could I go to do this?" If you happen to know somewhere else, let us know.
And given his achievements, and speed at which he has achieved them, he is one of those people who probably won't have trouble getting tenure, no matter how much of a dick he is being.
No. We have to bend organizations into compatibility.
It's said that a reasonable person adapts itself to reality and doesn't try to change the world. Therefore, all the progress comes from the unreasonable ones.