Are you seriously saying that Linux would be where it is now, or even be a usable OS at all, if Linus hadn't been paid to work on it for the last 15+ years, and

Are you seriously saying that Linux would be where it is now, or even be a usable OS at all, if Linus hadn't been paid to work on it for the last 15+ years, and if there had been no money from RedHat, IBM, Google and all the other companies that have contributed over the years? Please. If there hadn't, it would be like HURD - properly flat-lined for all practical intents and purposes.