He was speaking hyperbolically. Imagine if it were somehow possible for a company like IBM to acquire the rights to direct Linux development and licensure, inc

He was speaking hyperbolically. Imagine if it were somehow possible for a company like IBM to acquire the rights to direct Linux development and licensure, including the right to just refuse to let other Linux distribution vendors have access to new kernel features, or to price gouge them over updates, in an effort to squash all competition. Linux would continue to exist, but plenty of people who love what Linux had been would be saying, not without reason, that IBM had destroyed Linux.