[snotrockets]

Confluent doesn't own Kafka. Apache Kafka is an Apache project, with its own government structure. Some of the project management committee is employed by Confluent, but not all: e.g., the current PMC chair is Mickael Maison, employed by Red Hat. See https://projects.apache.org/committee.html?kafka

[purpleblue]

Kafka PMC is utterly dominated by Confluent or former employees. Everything Kafka does has been and always will be with Confluent's best interest first and foremost. The idea that Kafka isn't completely controlled by Confluent would be disingenuous at best. I don't have anything against Kafka or Confluent, but people should call a spade a spade here when it's blatantly obvious.

[snotrockets]

This is a very dim view, which doesn't match what I personally have seen, but to each his own.