[nkkar]

I suppose it depends on your investment goals, profile, etc. If you hold the general thesis that "the future" will see continued "progress", increased living standards & more consumers, then it's probably a good bet. If that timeline looks like, say, 50 years (no, I'm not convinced people invest on this kind of timeline, those profits may be too far out, but banks, ...maybe?), then a billion today may be a worldwide monopoly tomorrow. Maybe?

[wahern]

The company that launched the original Iridium constellation went bankrupt one year (1999) after the constellation went live (1998).

Did they have foresight? Absolutely. Did they successfully create a new market? Yes. Did they hold an effective monopoly? Yes. Was their product and service a technological success? Clearly, as it's still used today. Did they make money? No, not even close. Theirs was the largest U.S. bankruptcy at the time.

Yes, there may be tremendous opportunity. But there's also tremendous risk. Timing and strategy are everything, and nobody has a crystal ball for those details even when the big picture is a certainty.