[weddpros]

The same can be said of any startup/company.

Founders throw 1k$ in the pot, investors 100M$, the public 1B$, yet the founder has benefited a lot, by being there first.

If people start thinking "he's a con", the company's value will drop to 0. Bankruptcy.

Is the whole stock market a pyramid scheme?

A market isn't a pyramid scheme just because you didn't enter it at the beginning (that's also true for real estate).

The alternative would be a market where you'd benefit more if you enter last, which means there would be no incentive for anybody to enter first and create the market. That's why the alternative doesn't exist and markets do reward the first mover.