Yes, it's like selling a share to a group of mates who hear from their mates that AI is hot so they want in. Still does nothing for the profit not being there to pay those investors back in any other way than via new investors (ie pension funds).

There should be a word for paying investors with money from other investors

Seems structurally sound, kind of like a pyramid.

Depends a lot on which end is pointing down.

A reverse funnel

Also, which way down is.

Is it when X is clearly engaging in creative financial engineering with a goal of maximizing their value.