I think a bit of ego can help one with success, but I think judging how much ego is enough is a tough call, especially from the inside. That's too bad, though perhaps Nye is done with that now. As an aside, one of my college professors went to Phillips Andover (the Yale prep school, Phillips Exeter is the Harvard one) with George W. Bush and would tell us about how "Georgie" as he called him was known for putting on airs, what with his cowboy boots and according to my professor, even a bit of an accent, though everyone knows the Bushes are from Kennebunkport. I guess a Maine accent isn't cool at prep school (or otherwise).
That's why I put the timeline disclaimer, he may be over that phase, he may not be. Only people with the opportunity to meet him today, out of his CNN persona, would be able to determine that. I work fairly close to there. Andover is a crazy wealthy place. I've also been to the area near Kennebunkport (girlfriend's family is from that area). That's funny. People definitely put on a show depending on what environment they are in.
I'm not surprised it's a wealthy place. Those schools are nuts. I guess teenagers always want to stand out in some way, though putting on a Texan-esque accent amongst WASPs speaking Mid-Atlantic English seems pretty strong.