Right, mathematicians care about clout and tenure, which is a much higher purpose.

Are you saying that mathematicians are the bad actors here? Compared to Sam Altman spending ungodly amounts of money to upstage them ahead of IPO?

I care about paying my bills and job security and peer recognition. That's a normal human thing to do, not some vice. You don't?

this guy already has clout and tenure

I don't know about you, but if I apply myself fully to a problem and study it to the point where I'm literally one of the world's experts on it and then some assholes in Silicon Valley take my research and claim it for themselves, I will probably not feel too great about that...