first off, linux is free software (a subset of open source) despite being considered "toxic" GPL is actually favors the creator quite a lot. (it is my suspicion

first off, linux is free software (a subset of open source) despite being considered "toxic" GPL is actually favors the creator quite a lot. (it is my suspicion that this fact is why it is labeled as toxic in the first place, but i digress) the copyleft aspect contractually obligates you to contribute back to the original project. this means that any company that uses your tech is effectively paying their staff to contribute to your project. this is a good thing as it prevents them from extracting value from the project. linux is a great example of how a free software project can utilize corporate support to further its goals without becoming a victim of exploitation (unlike openssl, gnupg, &c.)