Let's say invested 1, 2, 3 ... one dollar each.  Total $ 3.  They are given to participant 1. We are waiting for payments 4,5,6, in order to give the participant 2 - 3 $, then we wait for payments 7,8,9 to give money to the participant number 3, then 10,11,12 to give the participant number 4  and so on in order ad infinitum.
You just explained how Ponzi scheme works. If it was your business model, then you are definitely doing a Ponzi scheme, no matter how you twist the model, it will always be the same. If any newbies were to fall for this scam, I don't know what to say but you deserved it because no one on their right mind is going to give you tenfold of the amount when you invested in them in such a short amount of time, the biggest return percentage that I can think of and that is legitimate is around 5% to 6%.