Quote Originally Posted by NightHour View Post
Out of the money they make, the following has to be paid (this might not even be a full list either)

- Technology based expenses - Replacing depreciating hardware, upgrading hardware or infrastructure etc.
- Utilities. Data Centers use a lot of water, electricity and internet bandwidth.
- Staff Wages
- Security and safety costs for buildings and data centers
- Liability Insurance, Building Insurance and other business insurances required.
- Rental costs for any data center space they take up from hosting providers.
- Business rates and other Corporate taxes
- Ongoing costs for legal and accounting services
- Any loans the business has taken out
- Rental costs for any buildings they occupy but don't own directly
- Shareholder dividends


etc etc
I completely agree. Most people see the revenue numbers and assume SE could just throw money at housing or whatever, but running servers, paying staff, covering infrastructure, insurance, and taxes adds up fast. It’s not as simple as it looks. While it’s easy to say “oh, they make this much,” many people’s perception of business expenses is pretty warped.