It happens way more often that most people expect. https://www.propublica.org/article/the-worlds-email-encryption-software-relies-on-one-guy-who-is-going-broke

It happens way more often that most people expect. https://www.propublica.org/article/the-worlds-email-encryption-software-relies-on-one-guy-who-is-going-broke https://www.propublica.org/article/the-worlds-email-encrypti... for example (at least that one has a happy ending - where after the right exposure a bunch of companies benefiting from his work stepped in to fund it...)