My personal (conspiracy) theory is that the "don't be evil" trick was done to attract ML talent. Many people, if they are convinced they are working for a good cause, are okay with being paid less than if they worked at evil inc or a defense contractor or something. It's a big reason why academia has so many people at the top of their fields accept little pay (compared to their pay in the industry).

These people are now held hostage by the "100x" promises. I 'm hopeful however that all this "Old Tech Money" - FAANGs&OpenAI won't be able to keep them for long, because AI may be used to destroy their existing revenue streams (advertising - optimization - engagement)