> If you don't care about code quality, maintainability, readability, conformance to the specification, and performance of the compiler and of the compiled code, please, give me your $20,000, I'll give you your C compiler written from scratch :)

i don't know if you could. Let's say you get a check for $20k, how long will it take you to make an equivalent performing and compliant compiler? Are you going to put your life on pause until it's done for $20k? Who's going to pay your bills when the $20k is gone after 3 months?

There is an entire Evaluation section that addresses that criticism (both in agreement and disagreement).

If we're just writing off the billions in up front investment costs, they can just send all that my way while we're at it. No problem. Everybody happy.