I'd like to add that if this claim of having replicated the material with the reportedly poor description of how to do so is true then it really isn't that hard to replicate. I am surprised they haven't published a paper by now.

And this suggests that they were conflicted for some reason about publishing, likely commercially so (as evidenced about the patent). Maybe they were trying to create a product with it that they could sell before others could replicate the material.

So the rogue employee does absolutely deserve credit for bringing this thing into the world and humanity should not stigmatize them for doing so; perhaps we should do exactly the opposite.