He's brilliant at self-promotion and self-delusion.
Gold knows jack-squat about petroleum. Every proposed test of his "primitive methane" hypothesis has turned up craps -- he sold the Swedish government on a test of it back in the 1980's, to deep-drill a test hole in ancient, pre-Cambrian crystalline rocks (Sweden has no natural petroleum-generating sediments, so they were ripe pickings for Gold's snake-oil). After expending tens of millions of dollars, with absolutely nothing to show for it but some trace, crustal gases, they finally abandoned the hole. Gold, of course, claimed that the results vindicated his idea. The Swedish government, as stupidly socialist as they are, nevertheless knew bilge when they heard it and sent Tommy-boy packing.
Gold has an even less distinguished record in lunar science -- remember the "deep oceans of dust" that the Lunar Modules were supposed to sink into? That's another brilliant Gold insight.
Yes, he was right about the origin of pulsars -- even a blind pig finds an acorn occasionally.
Tommy Gold -- pernicious fraud. He belongs at Cornell.
God-like would seem more appropriate:)