1 operator, 0 employees, $250K profit. He quit.

$250K net profit on a "down year." Zero W-2 payroll. One operator. This case comes from oil and gas, not AI. That's the point. A 73-year-old built the exact business shape most indie operators say they want. His 35-year-old son ran it solo for 11 years, essentially free. Now the son is leaving. What he builds next is the real case.