I think this is somewhat unlikely. Timezone/timestamp analysis of their commits seems to show them working on it as a day job. And that they were obfuscating th

I think this is somewhat unlikely. Timezone/timestamp analysis of their commits seems to show them working on it as a day job. And that they were obfuscating their location from the get-go (not 100% successfully). It may not have been a state actor or even paid, but it seems like they started with at least the intent to deceive about their identity and origin, and that they were working on it as more than just a hobby.