I wouldn't say he's the only one. Eric Raymond and Richard Stallman readily spring to mind, as do many other names of people who are tied with FOSS, very well known and respected. And none of them has people agreeing 100% with them. Linus is arguably more likable than Stallman, for example, but he's still a strong personality and can be just as abrasive at times.
And it just goes to show that we need different views: Linux would not be what it is today if it wasn't for the visions of both Stallman and Linus, even though they are at odds on many things.