Kinda pathetic though, isn't it? A group of people devote their lives to a product, working round-the-clock for years, and then reap (relatively) tiny rewards compared to the money man.

Hey! You've just described the money-sucking machine that is Silicon Valley.

What money man are you referring to exactly? Most of the actual money in these situations comes from massive institutional funds where there is no individual man.

The fund, the firm, and the individuals who led investments. No?

Those individuals make far less than founders in a successful outcome.