I have no stake, but here's my take:
Not everything in business succeeds, and not all items generate profits. I am in the retail business and we don't always make money on every items we sell. These are known as loss leaders. They help us drive our business and we can make money on other items. We have been very inovative and not every product survives. In business you win some and you lose some. John took a chance on developing an item people, investors, wanted. The key is what promises were made upon taking their money to invest. Was there a discaimer saying they could lose the investment, or just promising them a completed item at a reduced cost. If John is now successful with his new ventures, he should, in my opinion, make it right with his previous investors if no disclaimer was part of the aggreement. All the investors are part of the hobby, a hobby which John's business revolves around. People share good stories about business transactions, but share bad ones much more. John can do what he wants, but we as hobbiests will be watching. I feel the continued success of his new business venture will only benefit if he settles this. He is rolling the dice if he doesn't because people will be afraid to trust him and his products.