I often ask (and I’m sure you do too) why all these brilliant “bad guys” in the world don’t put their skills to use for good?

Oddly enough, I found an answer in an unlikely (or, depending on your worldview, very likely) place: investing.

Scott Galloway, in his book The Algebra of Wealth, discusses the ratios of risk to reward in the stock market. For many high-risk investments, the reward is outrageous, but the risk is destructive.

So the obvious answer to the question is that bad guys make more money via crime than if they put those same skills to use for a legitimate employer.

They have massive potential upside, potentially millions of dollars.

But the downside is worse than what most are willing to pay: risking lengthy prison sentences isn’t appealing to most people who would also love to make $50 million in a few hours. But for a select few, it’s the lifestyle they want.

So, you probably already knew this, but some things are worth putting into words.