Paying money for a product or service to remove uncertainty.
You buy food for a declared price instead of growing it yourself over an variable amount of time and cost.
Every startup makes money by offloading risk for another person or business. People make money by absorbing risk from other parties.
Not being smart.
Not being born rich – although your relation and status lower your perceived risk. Why would a millionaire risk everything he has and betray me or do something illegal?
Conversely, you make money by taking on risk.
You can test this out at a casino. You can also lend money out for interest.
You can make far more as a startup founder than a employee by taking on the risk of being unsuccessful.