I don't think this is right at all? I think it's backwards... If the $1M is a capital gain from an investment you made multiple years ago - which is what windfa

I don't think this is right at all? I think it's backwards... If the $1M is a capital gain from an investment you made multiple years ago - which is what windfalls from "work on risky things" actually look like - it will be taxed less than ten years of $100k of income. I think you're right if you're thinking about lottery winnings or other kinds of non-capital-gain windfalls like a gift from a benefactor, but those aren't the result of valuable "work on risky things".