I have 20k people on my mailing list. I could easily convert to paid at 2k people at $10 a month and I'd be doing very nicely (although still no more than my base salary in my last corporate job over a decade ago). But it wouldn't be the right thing to do — my task isn't to run a business that maximises returns for me, but to wake up as many people as possible, minimise the carnage and chaos, and be ready to help guide people towards a better world when that time comes. This has been a loooooooong march in the wilderness; I don't seek any material reward, but I would like to be able to keep my printer ink habit up at "addict" levels :)
A true heart wins this race. I had no financial benefit before, i'll have none after.