[ETH_start]

That's only for economic profit. Normal profit remains even when economic profit is driven to zero:

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/normal_profit.asp

"Economic profit is the profit an entity achieves after accounting for both explicit and implicit costs.

Economic Profit = Revenues - Explicit costs – Implicit costs

Normal profit occurs when economic profit is zero or alternatively when revenues equal explicit and implicit costs.

Total Revenue - Explicit Cost - Implicit Cost = 0

or

Total Revenue = Explicit + Implicit Costs"

[Clent]

In a perfect system, I wouldn't pay a penny more than your total cost. Capitalist extraction can only occur because we pretend it's not an exploitation of unequal knowledge.

[ETH_start]

No, profit is just and economically rational compensation to the investor. Without it, the opportunity cost and risk of saving and investing, respectively, is not compensated for.