The "private planes" were liquidated from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Hydrogen - "The company's main product was intended to be a conversion kit to be retrofitted to existing aircraft to allow them to run on hydrogen fuel."
The "massive 3D printer" was liquidated from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Motors - "was an American manufacturing company focused on low-volume production of open-source vehicles and other products using multiple microfactories."
If an investor accepted the premise of the companies, these don't sound like outrageous assets to own.
I assume the opening of the article quoted with that hint of a judgemental tone was born on the corpses of the others then. Those may have catchy promises too perhaps, without any hint of parasitic smell leaking out even if the hidden agenda was precisely that.
The "massive 3D printer" was liquidated from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Motors - "was an American manufacturing company focused on low-volume production of open-source vehicles and other products using multiple microfactories."
If an investor accepted the premise of the companies, these don't sound like outrageous assets to own.