I still don't think people are going to see that money anytime soon. I imagine that if they pay, it will be something for a few years to come, like MT GOX. Don't get your hopes up about receiving money from FTX, they will always find a way not to pay, going to court or making excuses.
You are the only one who has seen it differently and rightly. The people involved should not just sit excitedly waiting for FTX to pay. They will continue to make excuses upon excuses and it the end they might pay but it will be overly delayed. It will be fine if the victims don't expect anything from FTX, rather than expecting and in the end get disappointed or heart broken for the second time.
FTX to refund customers at Bitcoin's prices below $18,000
The bitcoin in our private wallet is the real bitcoin. Exchanges might not be holding all your funds in bitcoin but they will display it to your understanding that you own Bitcoin. When issues like this happen it will be revealed. Assuming bitcoin price is somewhere below $10k, they would want to pay with the current price. They just want heads off, I don't blame them though.