Looking at it yet another way, this is a classic illustration of the risk-reward tradeoffs within what is known as the capital stack. There can be many levels - preferred stock, bondholders, first and second lienholders, etc... and common stock is usually at the bottom. Hence, in a bankruptcy, common shareholders are the most likely to lose their investment.
However, as you go up the stack, your increasing security is offset by a lower (more predictable) return; conversely, the lower security of common stock is rewarded in the aggregate by higher returns. Lenders only get the agreed-upon rate, even if the enterprise succeeds wildly. But common stock gets the lion's share of the excess returns. And the average of all the Deltas and the Facebooks and everything in between has historically worked out to 10% a year including dividends, which is what you're buying via your whole-market ETF if you're a typical member here.
Also, this is why many people gradually reallocate from stocks to bonds or other fixed-income assets. Fundamentally, you're just parking your assets at a higher position, with a lower return justified by lower risk.
