[TchoBeer]

Usually lowering a company's profits due to market competition produces value. Just stealing money does not produce value.

[trasz]

The stolen money don’t have a value to the thief?

[TchoBeer]

The amount of value it produces for the theif is equal to the amount of value it takes away from the company

[Hjfrf]

Generally much less, if you're taking into account all the wasted time/energy.

[trasz]

Million dollars stolen from, say, Bezos, is worth less than that to the thief?

[TchoBeer]

We can have a discussion about ethics and utility if it's a starving person stealing from Jeff Bezos, but these ransomware firms are large-scale organizations just like the companies they're stealing from.

[trasz]

Sure, but it still doesn’t mean the money somehow “loose their value”. It’s just a money transfer between companies; a financial transaction, just a one that’s unlawful.