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Inventing something by itself does not create value, to create value it must solve a problem. If you invent something,self funded it, and then take it to market you will be incredibly rich.

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Such as the Theory of Relativity, or inventing the Internet, right?

Too bad reality doesn't reflect your sentiment. Even solving a massive problem may not result in becoming rich. Especially with the way network economics has turned the whole scarcity model upside-down for modern internet-based startups.

What you consider "profit" depends on what you are trying to achieve. There are plenty of billionaires who'll be forgotten but in 500 years people will talk about Einstein like we talk about Newton, and about Tim Berner-Lee like we talk about Da Vinci.

But one of the points of the article was that people who have the potential to be the next Einstein or Berners-Lee are disincentivized to pursue that potential, and instead follow a path that makes more money, but doesn't add value to society.

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