Can't read that but that is surely if you bought the subsidized ad-version of the kindle.

There's no difference between a "subsidized ad-version" and what al_borland said: that they "paid to not have ads on the Kindle"

You can get a Kindle for $110 with ads, or for $130 without ads.

I read it as if it was a subscription, my bad.

I got my Kindle before any ads were in play (its like a second generation?), and several years afterwards it started displaying ads. Thankfully a chat with amazon solved it because I wasnt in US, so the ads were not applicable to me, but I definetly did not have option to buy non-ad version when I bought it.

I'm an avid kindle user, I've never seen ads on my device. I'm in the UK

I'm in the UK and you absolutely get ads on kindles unless you have a very old device or bought the ad free model(TBF all kindles sold outside of Amazon at Currys, JL etc are always ad free).

Last I checked, about three years ago, any place selling kindles online (UK/Ireland) had small-print next to them stating that an internet connection and additional fee was required to remove ads.