According to an article from CNN Money, eBay’s profit for 2004 was $829.5 (obviously not chump change). The article also stated that eBay at the end of 2004 had “135.5 million registered users”. That would mean that eBay averaged a whopping $6.12 profit on each registered user for the year.
Now, I can hear those cerebral wheels grinding away. What’s that you say? “But Rick, those aren’t all active user!” Fair enough. Let’s get wild and say only 50% of those registered users are “active” (or whatever description is appropriate). That would mean eBay averaged the outrageous profit of $12.24 for each active user for the year (or 3.3 cents per day). Scandalous!
I believe a B2 Stealth Bomber costs around a billion dollars (give or take some millions) and they aren’t near as much fun as eBay is (well, the bomber pilots probably enjoy the bombers more than eBay).