Why didn't Vitale get rich?

She didn't manufacture the pizza tables and let the patent expire.
She didn't have proof to show that she invented the pizza table.
She inspired other pizza tables that were much more successful.
She waited to patent her pizza table and her application was overdue.

There could be a few reasons why Vitale didn't get rich. Firstly, she may not have manufactured the pizza tables herself, which means she wouldn't have directly profited from their production and sales.

Additionally, if Vitale didn't have the necessary proof to show that she was the original inventor of the pizza table, she may have struggled to establish her claim and capitalize on her invention. Intellectual property rights, such as patents, are crucial for protecting one's innovations and ensuring exclusive rights to profit from them. If she couldn't provide sufficient evidence of her invention, others may have been able to claim credit and benefits from her idea.

It is also possible that although Vitale inspired other successful pizza tables, she may not have been able to compete with the improved versions in terms of market demand, quality, or marketing. This could have resulted in her original pizza table invention not being as successful or profitable as subsequent iterations.

Lastly, if Vitale waited too long to file a patent for her pizza table invention, her application could have been overdue. Patent systems have strict deadlines, and failing to meet these deadlines may result in lost opportunities for protection and commercialization. Without the safeguard of a patent, others could have freely copied and produced similar pizza tables, diminishing Vitale's potential for financial gain.

Overall, these are some possible reasons why Vitale didn't get rich from her pizza table invention.