For a while, the easiest way to make money in crypto was to raise money for a new project. That's probably still true now, although the regulatory risk for such activity has been steadily increasing.
Nor was it really Dan's idea, he just went along with it. It shouldn't take a genius to look at the players involved in EOS and figure out which one was most skilled at extracting money from investors.
If only I valued my time so little. Always a pleasure.