~10–15 core FFmpeg developers
The entire FFmpeg project is maintained by a core team of only 10 to 15 people, with around 6 to 8 at the core of VLC.
Snapshot · Lex Fridman Podcast
#496 – FFmpeg: The Incredible Technology Behind Video on the Internet
Explore episode
May 6, 2026
Where this was said
Linus Torvalds
At 58:36 · chapter starts 56:20
The legend of Linus Torvalds, Git built in two weeks, the meritocratic harshness of code review culture, and why a core team of 10–15 must maintain code for thousands of contributors.
Turned down tens of millions of dollars
Jean-Baptiste Kempf repeatedly turned down tens of millions of dollars in offers — mainly from shady ad companies — to keep VLC free and ad-free.
Turning Down Tens of Millions to Keep VLC Free
JB didn't turn down advertising money because he hates money. He turned it down because every offer came from shady ad companies, and accepting would have betrayed hundreds of people's volunteer labor. He could be a multimillionaire on a beach — he chose to keep VLC ad-free for billions of users instead.
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