The American slave, oddly enough, didn’t have a reputation for laziness, back in those days. People were willing to pay huge amounts for a sturdy slave. IIRC in the 1850s we are talking median present day prices around $100,000.
That’s interesting information, yet perhaps not so easy to interpret. A $100,000 outlay for, say 20 years of labor, is only $5,000 per year. There was also food and housing. It would probably come primarily from slave labor, but would reduce work hours dedicated to the production of revenue from the sale of cotton, etc. All in all, I think we are talking of outlays that are far less than the current minimum wage.
I have an in-law who received a bonus last year in excess of $100,000. That is on top of his annual salary. He is an engineer who likes his work. I’m sure his employer knows he likes the work, but they’ve decided not to rely on intrinsic job satisfaction to keep him happy - and working for them.