---
type: "Topics"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/topics/42976997.md"
description: "Highly profitable businessesFrom ancient times to the present, the only businesses that can generate substantial profits over the long term are just a few:The first is exploiting human greed. In the past, it was called casinos; now, it's called finance.The second is exploiting human loneliness. In the past, it was called entertainment districts for pleasure; now, it's called the emotional economy.The third is exploiting human fear. In the past, it was called alchemy; now, it's called big health.The fourth is exploiting human desire. In the past, it was called loan sharking; now, it's called credit consumption.If you open any history book, you'll discover a pattern: all wealth accumulation and resource distribution are essentially the result of plunder. The colonial era involved direct robbery, the Industrial Revolution used machinery, the financial era uses capital, and the internet era uses traffic.The forms change, but the essence remains unchanged"
datetime: "2026-07-28T03:12:06.000Z"
locales:
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/topics/42976997.md)
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/topics/42976997.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/topics/42976997.md)
author: "[浩浩荡荡地](https://longbridge.com/en/profiles/19784218.md)"
---

# Highly profitable businessesFrom ancient times to …