It's the other way round. Dept is discounted potential future growth. Potential growth and the ability to pay back dept is the foundation for receiving money.

It's the other way round. Dept is discounted potential future growth. Potential growth and the ability to pay back dept is the foundation for receiving money. What the author ignores is that it is a race. There are many opportunities but not all will be successful. Failed investments transfer the money from those who made wrong predictions to those who made successful ones. This creates sustained progress because those who are good at predicting the future have the most influence.