Another example that reflects the spirit of what I believe graphenbeach is trying to say is similar to what some of the pharmaceutical and biotech companies (publicly traded inlcuded) are practicing every day: they perform research and invest very large amounts of money on matters that may or may not lead to a successful (not to mention FDA approved) outcome. Similar to a startup that risks VC, the small chance of a massive payback is what makes this approach attractive to investors & stakeholders. A company like Apple could easily pursue what would be nothing more than a 'diversification' of their otherwise seemingly very conservative financial strategy by going after one or two such high risk high reward projects.