Funny you bring up the Linux kernel, which has been completely subverted by the likes of Intel and RHEL. Linus was forced out using a slightly unorthodox strategy because his natural disagreeability was an effective defense against traditional subversion strategies. In any case, the strategy adopted by Urbit would probably have worked to protect Linux development from this takeover, but may also have hindered adoption to a degree that Linux would never have come to dominate.