demigod

demigod n.  A hacker with years of experience, a national
   reputation, and a major role in the development of at least one
   design, tool, or game used by or known to more than half of the
   hacker community.  To qualify as a genuine demigod, the person must
   recognizably identify with the hacker community and have helped
   shape it.  Major demigods include Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie
   (co-inventors of {{UNIX}} and {C}), Richard M. Stallman
   (inventor of {EMACS}), and Linus Torvalds (inventor of Linux).
   In their hearts of hearts, most hackers dream of someday becoming
   demigods themselves, and more than one major software project has
   been driven to completion by the author's veiled hopes of
   apotheosis.  See also {net.god}, {true-hacker}.