To be fair, they would be calling shots either way, either by paying up to be a Founding member or if they couldn't do that, indirectly through their own market

To be fair, they would be calling shots either way, either by paying up to be a Founding member or if they couldn't do that, indirectly through their own market power which as the makers of their own browsers and chipsets for most of the hardware they move (and operating systems for all of their hardware), is substantial. Working as a "Founding" member is probably easier for everyone involved.