And I don't think so. If they wanted they have done it already. What for? Development, mainnet, partnership and so on...
Conspiracy theory in you words )) no offense.
I'm not talking about a full scam. AB wants to do business, but not everything works out for him. But this truth is hidden from the community.
There's no such thing as halfway scams. Either this or that. Universa is a legitimate project. They have already raised money. Nothing keeps them here. But if they stay and try to do something then it means they are a trusted project.