Nobody ever went into academia to make a fast buck. Professors, especially those in medical- and technology-related fields, typically earn a fraction of what their colleagues in industry do.

But some of the local JV partners, many of them without experience in life insurance, seem to have been more interested in making a fast buck.

Ron Conway, a well-known investor in tiny firms, has privately castigated some of his fellow super angels for having overinflated egos and for appearing too keen to make a fast buck.