What did Whitney mean when he said an invention could be so valueable as to be worthless to the inventro?

Whitney suggested that an invention could be so valuable that it renders the inventor unable to benefit from its worth, often due to factors like poor financial management, lack of marketing, or being outmaneuvered by competitors. In such cases, the inventor might fail to capitalize on their creation, leading to a situation where the invention's potential is realized by others, while the original creator remains unrecognized or unrewarded. Essentially, it highlights the disconnect that can exist between innovation and its financial success for the inventor.