Exploded and turned into scraps of mangled flesh strung across a hundred yards of debris, you say? Damn, hope he gets better.

Investors will absolutely hand over money to front men making bad, even obviously insane, promises, though. People are always more easily manipulated than they like to believe, but people who've convinced themselves they're infallible titans of industry are even more vulnerable to it. (Especially the ones who think that they see through the scam and won't be left holding the bag.)