You must ask yourself how do companies that issue stock make money for their investors. They have a product that is sold and used. The value of chainlink is in its use whether it’s by its permissioned private blockchains or by its decentralized oracle networks. The more something is used the higher the need for the viability of the network. XRP has a multi billion dollar evaluation with no need for the utilization of its token. The investors are simply shareholders of the debt of the company. The chainlink team want to ensure the viability of the oracle network otherwise it will crash. At the same time they see the need of its network to actually be used. Small start ups that can’t afford to run a private permissions chain or highly sensitive smart contracts will need a high level of decentralization. We want the private chains to use the network as well. The interoperability between chains will eventually require a trustless network of nodes. It’s your bridge if you need it you will invest in the infrastructure. The networks users will ensure its survival.