Singer doesn’t seem like an example, in most cases.

What level of separation are you asking about? An independent farmer who sells directly? If he sells to a market or distributor, does that no longer count?

Maybe people who do work on others (teachers, healers) as long as there are no other companies taking a cut (e.g. schools, insurance), though if you rent someplace to do work, you profit the landlord. And the utility companies.

And if you report your income to the government, they usually want you to pay tax.

So if you mean that strictly, it starts to get down to black & grey market jobs without a private locale, and that don’t result in buying supplies or anything.

Buskers and street performers?

Pet and house sitting. I am paid in cash, all profit.

Easy answer…Be a politician or a lawyer.

President of the United States of America.

Insurance Agent. Banker.

Banker.

@Cruiser…. I know lawyers and politicians who have actually helped people. Strangely enough, they actually had to write and pass laws to compel banks and insurance companies to stop stealing money.

@cazzie true….but anything a politician or a lawyer does that benefits you usually comes at a steep price. More taxes or YUGE lawyer fees.

Astrologer

@Cruiser better use of taxes is better government or telling businesses they can’t rip people off anymore, so that doesn’t cost the government anything.

@ARE_you_kidding_me perfect. Yes. Fortune tellers and Astrologers. I first thought con-men, but these two examples certainly qualify as legal examples of that. I would add that those mega prosperity churches and TV evangelicals as well.

@cazzie My comment was directed at the politician specifically not the government he works for

From an economics standpoint, the only job/task that profits only oneself is work that is done solely for oneself and no one else, such as housecleaning your own place (but not someone else’s), vegetable gardening in the back yard, exercising/working out.

There is a fundamental truth to economics that one only gets money or goods for providing something of benefit to another person.

Asking for bribes.

Assasin.