"A common theme with Ponzi schemes is that the people at the beginning who created the scheme (or who invested in it earliest) benefit greatly by future people

"A common theme with Ponzi schemes is that the people at the beginning who created the scheme (or who invested in it earliest) benefit greatly by future people buying into the scheme." You can make this argument for any created product, especially any currency. "out of thin air" Yes. That is currently how most currencies work.