They intentionally put the patents in the hands of a troll. Moreover, since the trolls generally don't have the capital to buy the patents up front, the transfer deals generally involve the selling party getting a large cut of the shakedown money the troll collects from its victims, so it's quite likely that they haven't recovered what they paid for the patents.

The fact that the timing of this happening at the same time as patent reform is on the table wasn't predictable some years ago is just part of the point -- you can't always predict blowback. The risk is part of the cost.