This is incorrect. HN is run by Y Combinator; yes, PG started YC, but he retired from YC 7 years ago.

Oh, I had thought he stepped down from the day to day role but still had significant investment and control.

There are many firms where the owner is never present, but all employees know not to cross them. (E.g. Washington Post & Jeff Bezos).

WaPo is very critical of Amazon

That wasn’t my impression 3 years ago when I worked there.

This site is mainly supported by its volunteer moderators. I doubt it cost more than a few thousand a year at most to run.

So the fact that PG pays for it doesn't mean much. If the community decided to no longer be under his care, they could easily find a replacement model or benefactor and they're more than capable to arrange such an uprising/migration.

Pretty sure dang is not a "volunteer moderator".

What matters far more than dollars paid is having his name attached to it. I recall Scott Alexander getting the forum started around his community to remove any associations to him because of things people were saying were happening “under his watch.”

Who pays dang? He can't be so cheap to maintain.

PG doesn't run YC anymore (he retired quite a few years back), which is the org that pays for HN.