Back when DDG first started, Gabe was asking for ideas/opinions on features they had and might add, and I talked to him on the phone for a few minutes. He seemed a pleasant, sincere and honest person, and I've seen nothing since to contradict that. Unlikely he's got that kind of time any more ... here's a (2018?) interview (with Vivaldi, they'd just made DDB their default search), listen for yourself. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU9U26IWSYE]

Suspicious of most of the rotten-meat smells on the net as I am, I use DDG for everything. Compare the person(s) who said "Don't be evil" (then...) to picking the name DuckDuckGo.