He was probably expecting a letter from the start and knew that time is limited. geohot may not care about laws and ethics, but there is no way he doesn't know

He was probably expecting a letter from the start and knew that time is limited. geohot may not care about laws and ethics, but there is no way he doesn't know about all the possible consequences he may face in a project like comma.ai. He works on something until either the pressure is no longer justifiable or he succeeds (like unlocking the iPhone). Working in this manner gives him a great advantage. I also think it's likely that he never actually intended it to become a real product and it's all about the journey and experience.