The Internet was designed by hippies and IP addresses weren't auctioned in the old days; they were given for free. When IPv4 runout was in sight the hippies argued loudly that addresses should be rationed instead of sold.
It might be right to call Jon Postel a hippie, but Vint Cerf sports a three piece suit. The Internet was designed by DARPA contractors and university grad students, so it’s a bit of a weird mix.