[Frondo]

I don't know of anyone who defines "rent seeking" as broadly as you just have. You're getting at saying that any sort of money-lending with interest is "rent seeking" and that's not what I'm trying to get at either.

And I agree, business owners should be compensated for what they put into a business. Forever, if they don't keep putting something into it? I don't know about that.

[grey-area]

You haven't defined it at all, and I think if you try, you'll find it hard to differentiate between the use of capital to start a business and the use of capital for one of the other activities I listed above which bring in income with no effort. All are using existing capital to earn more.

Forever, if they don't keep putting something into it? I don't know about that.

If you accept that banks should pay interest on deposits (forever), or shares should pay dividends (forever), then you accept that owners should receive money forever for an initial investment, just as other holders of capital do for other investments. There's nothing nefarious or unjust about it.

[beachstartup]

you're creating a straw man with this "forever" business that keeps paying a checked-out owner a huge dividend. you don't like the idea of it because it's impossible.

in reality, over the long term (years), they are either run into the ground, embezzled from, or sold.

management and ownership will always eventually overlap in any sustainable business.