It's possible that FA's original sale was made on the condition of right of first refusal for a change in ownership or reorganization. Either way, it'll be tough to pay for its running costs. FA is probably not any cheaper to run now than it was five years ago, especially assuming it remains on their new monster server. And if it needed to be sold then, what's different now?
Linking FA:U's demise to FA's repurchase is an interesting supposition, but many conventions have struggled – and, as you noted in your original piece, FA:U was never in the strongest of positions. (Dragoneer has since suggested that he "never wanted [FA:U] to be a big con".) Perhaps it was a coincidence brought on by worldwide events.
It's possible that FA's original sale was made on the condition of right of first refusal for a change in ownership or reorganization. Either way, it'll be tough to pay for its running costs. FA is probably not any cheaper to run now than it was five years ago, especially assuming it remains on their new monster server. And if it needed to be sold then, what's different now?