This is why tenure for fundamental research is very important. You have to be free to fail without consequences or you won't be able to take the risks to figure this stuff out.

Exactly, this is the biggest problem with modern universities.

I wish billionaires would fund things like this directly as in no patent no nothing, just from the goodness of their hearts, which they claim is there seeing how much they all pledge to charities... But the reality is different, Oxford pledged to donate the rights to their covid vaccine for free then was urged by the bill & melinda "foundation" to reverse course and sold it to pharma companies.