@timbray
It's the confluence of 3 things:
A) The gig is not transfer of money from customers to businesses. The gig is transfer of money from investors to founders/influencers.
B) Most of those investors are gullible and/or members of a death cult.
C) Sunk cost in cryptomining rigs: what else looks like a nail?
"The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand."