Thanks, but I didn't miss Medium's costs, they just weren't relevant to the point. And I'm not a business analyst or consultant, I've decided.

Writers who were read by writers didn't steal anything from anyone, because — and this is a point I definitely made, repeatedly — writers are readers. Writers who write only for writers (assuming there are any) are still writing for readers, because writers are readers. Writers who read writers want to read those writers, and want their money to go to those writers, where Medium told them it would go.