In The Netherlands and the EU there are quite a few well-known whistleblowers who received the short-end of the stick. One example would be Paul van Buitenen [0].

It's really risky to become a whistleblower and if you do, you better be able to live the rest of your life on your finances, because it might become very hard after becoming a whistleblower to receive another well-paying job. Also be prepared to deal with a lot of stress that might impact your health and mental wellbeing.

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[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_van_Buitenen

To receive another job, never mind the 'well-paying' bit. Companies would be scared shitless to hire someone that might expose their dirty laundry, especially if they already have a track record of doing so.

If there is one thing that is pretty certain then it is that whistleblowers get to blow the whistle exactly once.

It seems whitleblowing is more dangerous than fraud these days

A lesson they teach in $IVY_LEAGUE, "you all know whistle blowers don't end up well." Direct quote from $INFLUENTIAL_DUDE in response to $PUBLIC_THING.

Trust your gut. When it says leave, leave. Even if others encourage the opposite. Even if your extended family depends on your income.

Make the effort to build and maintain a strong social circle. Filter for integrity. Assiduously avoid those who distort truth for personal advantage.

When you know you're going to be alone and homeless, it's really hard to find the strength to keep on living. What's the point?

I personally think that we need to combine significant whistleblowers with witness protection. They need the same protections and compensation to give up their current life. This is why people don't come forward know. Someone is likely married to the child traffickers and corporate fraudsters off the world but you have to convince them to give up their life and be in a media circus and potentially risk the lives of them and their family. You have to reward them as such.

I don't think this guy is just some rando whistleblower.

He tried to make it a full time job, it's not clear why but he took out loans to do it ... it just was a bad "business" choice.

Knowing the WSJ, that’s probably the point, it’s almost like the white collar version of snitches get stitches

If you take this route, have a life-insurance policy.

it is literally how the world works these days