Isn't there a funny saying about this kind of situation? Something about two economists shitting their pants...?
Economist-A offered his friend, Economist-B, $20 to shit his pants. Then the deal was reciprocated, with Economist-B offering Economist-A $20 if he shat his pants. At the end, Economist-B turns to his friend and says, "does it feel like we both just shat our pants for nothing?," to which Economist-A replied, "no, we created $40 of value."
- Investors got a meager return
- Company and employees got nothing from the sale
- Consumers got a gambling addiction