Then why are there more Californians moving to Texas than vice versa?
You really need to step out of your tech bubble. Remember how Donald Trump won the US election? If you were in the Bay area, I bet you would've never fathomed that since it's a bubble.
And by luck. If they didn't do it, someone else would have done it, whether it be US, UK, or Canada. Proof? Look at the developments and publications from that same team. There are not consistent breakthroughs.
This is similar to the stock market and investors. Someone will get lucky and win, but unless they can do it consistently, it's luck.
Who the hell said that?