Those days you could mine in winter only, and it would have still made you rich 9 years later. But very few really understood this, and they're all rich now, indeed (or dead).
In 2011 I was still participating in SETI@home (I did for more than 15 years) so I was heating and spending electricity with no "return", although I liked it.
like any investment, being first is better and easier than being smart!