Thousands of people send their press releases out every day, and most of them are never seen again. I stand by my assertion that it was largely a matter of luck

Thousands of people send their press releases out every day, and most of them are never seen again. I stand by my assertion that it was largely a matter of luck, and while Tew no doubt knew he needed publicity, he had no reliably repeatable way of getting it. He was very fortunate with a dumb idea that fit someone's need for a good story at the time. There are thousands, maybe millions, of other dumb ideas that would make equally good stories but are not picked up. Statistically, it would indeed have been a better move for Tew to take the money and sit on it, just as it is a better move for a lottery player to save their $2. But it's certainly a lot more fun to gamble it. And unlike a lottery winner, in business if you win with a dumb idea, you not only profit, you look like some kind of savant.