> There's no way you're going to maintain and develop the intel linux driver as a solo dev.
I agree entirely.
My point was that even if Intel disappeared tomorrow, there's a good chance that Linux developer community would take over maintenance of those drivers.
In contrast to, e.g., 10-years-ago nvidia, where IIUC it was very difficult for outsiders to obtain the documentation needed to write proper drivers for their GPUs.
It is in the (minor) sense that I'd rely on Intel for warranty support, driver updates (if closed source), and firmware fixes.
But I agree with your main point that the worst-case downside isn't that big of a deal.