I'm not claiming there's a cover-up. And I'm not claiming that this fact isn't known by some people.
What I'm claiming is that the general public, including people who use DDG as their default search engine, are generally unaware of this relationship. And also that DDG doesn't go out of its way to highlight this relationship, even though they do acknowledge it in relatively obscure places.
The main help pages, under the big heading "Sources", is hardly obscure...
If you're moving to DDG, it's most likely for privacy-related reasons. If that is the case, would you not do the absolute minimum due diligence by reading some of their main explanatory pages (e.g. where sources are from, how ads work, etc.)?
I find it difficult to take someone seriously when they are complaining about a niche privacy-focused search engine, but don't seem to actually take their privacy seriously. The first step that should be done when using a new service/product, if you care about privacy, is to read the privacy policy and related documentation.
What I'm claiming is that the general public, including people who use DDG as their default search engine, are generally unaware of this relationship. And also that DDG doesn't go out of its way to highlight this relationship, even though they do acknowledge it in relatively obscure places.