Flashing back to Red Planet.

Somebody call Tom Selleck!

They have a series on Gates too.

The answer to OPs question is that these people they admired were just as bad, just better at PR. Unless you think that social media has had some kind of positive effect in outing these newer bastards. Being young and naive may also have been a factor (which I can personally attest to since I was a fan of MS back in the 90s before I learned about them).

Ah yes, the ol’ “promoted to the level of their incompetence”. SOP. Or SNAFU, take your pick.