That is essentially what I'm saying. The complication is that you can't reliably measure EV for certain acts. (E.g., What is the dollar-value loss for murder? H

That is essentially what I'm saying. The complication is that you can't reliably measure EV for certain acts. (E.g., What is the dollar-value loss for murder? How much should you fine someone for doing it?) In this case, to calculate the dollar-value loss for creating a subset of society which is above the rule of law which uses wealth as a barrier to entry... the penalty needs to take that into account. So the point is not simply that you need to defer thieves from entering a career of it, but that you need also to deter thieves from considering it as a one-time option for when their quarterly earnings are due, and that you need to do so sufficiently well that even a highly skilled thief with a multi-million dollar company salary won't consider it. So either it can't just be fines (asset seizure/prison, maybe for repeat offenders) or those fines must be legitimately severe as measured by the one committing the act.