The same reason Apple, Ford, and Bell Labs still have giant blocks — they got in at the beginning when allocation of 4 billion addresses seemed like a non-problem, and haven’t sold out.
https://www.iana.org/assignments/ipv4-address-space/ipv4-add...
https://www.iana.org/assignments/ipv4-address-space/ipv4-add...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classless_Inter-Domain_Routing...
Coincidentally, CIDR doesn't conflict with the HN comment syntax.
Sometimes shortened to 17/8, but… I wouldn't recommend that.
This isn't Ipv6! :P
You bet everybody already jumped in that boat. It would be interesting to know who and how.