Albert Gonzalez is a good example of how in this super-empowered global environment: a high school diploma, some smarts, and a hard work ethic is all it takes to generate incredible wealth and do massive amounts of damage. Albert is accused of masterminding the cyber theft of 130 million credit/debit card numbers and associated account data with two Russian partners (asking prices are $10 to $100 each, depending on the account profile and credit limit, on the black market). Albert's role involved doing the on the ground intel work necessary -- from scouting retail stores to see which provider processed its payments to mapping the financial supply chain to uncover weak links.
Granted, he got caught. But his use of self-replication (via software) to push the boundaries of super-empowerment makes him a global guerrilla innovator (see earlier post on this for more). Perhaps he missed an opportunity: if after getting rich he had opted to destroy credit card balances/accounts that had revolving balances, he might have been hailed a modern "Robin Hood" and become the stuff of legend rather than merely a super-crook. ;->