Ding ding ding
Someone says they're going to build a time machine, that they need investors. They get $10 million from dumb fucks that fall for it.
They keep posting news about how dangerous it is what they're doing. People start believing they might actually have something. They get $100 million in investments.
They start acting like they are on the brink of either destroying the planet or ending human labor forever. They get $100 million.... But some people want to see proof. They say "just trust us, it's too dangerous".
People keep waiting for the end of human labor . It doesn't arrive. People are waiting for proof. It doesn't arrive.
They work with regulators to say "hey slow us down because for real this is super serial and super dangerous." the regulators are in on the scam.
everyone laughs, everyone has a good time, Tech Oligarchs sniff Ketamine off each other's assholes, and they extend the scam just that much longer.