This could be a lot of money to spend to acquire users that may not be sticky.

Keeping a benchmark test harness secure and fast is non-trivial. You need to keep the grading script and the solution off the box, use network controls, deal with external resource usage, etc. It's a lot of work. I don't think it's realistic to expect benchmark authors to bullet proof their benchmark runners. Most benchmarks are written to be run conveniently on a single machine (ie. in docker), not to run in parallel across tends of thousands of secure, isolated machines.

The US has pushed the burden of retirement onto individuals, hoping that the private sector will offer incentives like 401k matching and generous health care plan subsidies, but this is a fundamental difference in who qualifies, what they receive, and how it's funded. These effects compound wealth and income inequality. If, for whatever reason, you're locked out from a job that would help pay for these programs, there's no coming back. You are dependent on the government at the same time as the government is underfunding the program you rely on. It's not a great situation.