I dont think that whales profit more than regular people as a %. Of course they might profit more in absolute terms, but then again they loose more when it dumps. Whales dont know what the market will be tomorrow too, but they are probably whales because they learned to be patient. So everyone can become a whale with the right moves and attitude.
I am really not a fan of this whale bashing. Feels like searching for a black sheep
I think They might be great in what they do. However, when people are scared and try to make informed decisions, they look to the group and copy the behavior. Which means buying near the top in the frenzy of the market and selling near the bottom in a panic. Just the exact opposite of what you want.
Stop worrying about what other people are doing and answer your own questions. No experts out there know the future.
neurotypical, your example is a good illustration of why you should not follow the crowd. I suspect your co-worker is not stupid.