This is massive money business we're talking about.

I see it as any ultra-competitive situation. You go for the gold if you have the guts. If you fail, then you can join the ranks of the failures. If you succeed, then you become one of the envied successed and role models of the world.
For those who follow this, it is an honor worth dying for. Building a safety net for these people is an utterly corrupt and, if I may say so, morally and ethically repugnant.