Yeah taking risks can pay off, one of the times it really pays off is when taking risks with other people's money. If it pays off everyone is happy, if it does not pay off the people who invest loose everything, the risk taker moves on gets more investors and has another go and has lost nothing. Playing the odds eventually they will do very well and say "look at what a success I am" and ignores the shitstorm they have left behind. Risk taking can be good but also very bad, depends on how it is done and who wears the consequences, real estate in the US is a great example of that.