I'm confused... Are you saying a horse trainer is poor and therefore can't afford $25k?
And you think the nonexistent company was worth millions? As of 2013 it had zero business, I'm not sure where you got "millions." Also, the shares couldn't be sold to the public, so they came at a discount to whatever the market price should have been with no assets.
I don't know how to value a company like that, but I'd be thrilled if anyone wanted to review the old SEC filings and take a stab at it.