The math in the paper is not faulty (though not especially deep/groundbreaking), and is not what triggered the reactions. The Intelligencer (where he first meant to publish) is not really an academic journal at all, but a casual/recreational magazine for mathematicians. The NYJM is not normally where I’d look for a paper on probability or statistics or something recreational. The whole story – not just the shoddy process in the retraction – is kind of weird.
One retraction wouldn’t really be a prevailing reflection on him or his abilities.
He’s an emeritus, so beyond any kind of institutional reward or punishment for level of publication.
