Yes they pay Gavin, but that's only because we accept their changes and update our software. If we stop doing that and fork QT, the need for them diminishes quickly.
Gavin doesn't need BF to get paid. He could open a
ReDonate account tonight and get enough people to sign up to support whatever salary requirement he has.
I like you, let's be friends.
Question is whether or not Gavin would be willing to break away from the Foundation. Hint: the answer is [probably] no.
Truly, they work for him.