ELI5: Why the absolute hell did SE not use Azure or AWS as a temporary solution?

[Nitelancer]

I absolutely love how AWS demonstrated today why our lovely OP is so so so very wrong. It isn't pride, it isn't being cheapskates. Something like today is why XIV isn't using AWS, not even for login servers, because if they were.. there wouldn't be a queue.. because it would be down entirely.

Word. I was wondering why I couldn't download any kindle books on my phone today. SE has done a great job. Although there is error 2002 and long queues, at least the servers have not unexpectedly gone down, and I think that deserves a lot of praise.