The GNU Project was already an established thing when Torvalds started Linux. I think it would be fair to argue the GNU bootstrapped Linux even if you don't buy

The GNU Project was already an established thing when Torvalds started Linux. I think it would be fair to argue the GNU bootstrapped Linux even if you don't buy into the whole "you must call it GNU/Linux" argument. And the whole GNU project was bootstrapped by what was going on at the MIT Media labs etc. etc.