In any case, I believe that money comes in and it goes back out to its members following whatever formula they use. So we are getting money redistribution, likely from the majority of participants and towards a smaller group of earlier investors (eg, Gates and friends).

This flow of money only exists because of the threat of voluminous amounts of litigation, made possible courtesy of patent law.

I think many companies find ways to create shell companies that end up taking extra losses (through deals favorable to the “main company”) so the the main companies can take greater profits. Perhaps this is to exploit loopholes in tax or other laws or to help sell their product or to hide the money trail.