Linus doesn't view security bugs as a special category of bugs. So he doesn't prioritize them they way most infosec people would like them to. The lack of a strong security advocate in their leadership is largely the reason why Linux isn't the best example.
The other big reason being that it's a giant blob of C and a large attack surface.
All of these factors could be easily avoided or simply don't exist for an Ethereum contract developer.
don't forget the fact that he was approached by the NSA to insert backdoors into linux, a fact his father testified to on the record before EU parliament[0].
