Sorry, I think you are mistaking stock price and profits. ETFS' performance is based on stock prices. Game companies still continue to make millions in profits. Stock price is not a reflection of profits.
Hiring a recent college grad and working him 12+ hours a day with no rest is IMHO exploitation.
This is why we have labour laws in the first place. Employers have too much power and influence. Offer a college grad the chance to work on games and above average pay, you get him on the hook. What you are not saying to him is that you'll overwork him breaching labour laws. I gave him a job, he wanted it, if he doesn't like it, he can leave is not sufficient to make it ethical nor legal.
Public investors may not be getting any benefit, because the private investors have already IPOd at a ridiculous stock price. Private investors usually have non-trading shares. The way the scheme works is that if they find the stock price to be right, they convert their non-trading shares into trading shares and profit more. This way the stock price doesn't increase much. They basically dilute the amount of public shares for profit.
They don't give any thought to public investors such as you and me.
Hiring a recent college grad and working him 12+ hours a day with no rest is IMHO exploitation.
This is why we have labour laws in the first place. Employers have too much power and influence. Offer a college grad the chance to work on games and above average pay, you get him on the hook. What you are not saying to him is that you'll overwork him breaching labour laws. I gave him a job, he wanted it, if he doesn't like it, he can leave is not sufficient to make it ethical nor legal.
Please read this insider story on how brutal the working conditions are: https://ea-spouse.livejournal.com/274.html
I cannot comment on the comparison with Bundesliga footballers, because I have no experience in working a physical job. I am a knowledge worker.