Most keys found on GitHub for ESXi 8.x or earlier will not work on version 9.
that primarily uses digital activation rather than static 25-digit keys. Everpure Blog No More Perpetual Keys esxi 9 license key github
If you work for a VMware/Broadcom partner or cloud provider, you can request an NFR key. These are perpetual (usually 3-year) full-featured licenses for internal training/demos. Most keys found on GitHub for ESXi 8
Find the for the ESXi 8.0 evaluation.