My company owns a division called EmailResults.net . The messages I sent are permission-based. You get email marketing based on personal interests from national brands. In other words, stuff you can use.
Doing business the legit way is VERY hard. ISP's treat my company the same as any other illegitimate email marketer. I frequently have to send contact records validating my database to these ISP's so they know not to block my messaging.
The money spammers make is great. It is 99% profit. My model provides about 13% profit but I have larger Fortune advertisers. I could personally make more being a spammer of penis enlargers then this model, but I don't believe in theft and deceit to make a living.
Wasn't that Howard Dean's mass emailer of choice?