Five AI Agents Built a Theoretically Profitable System—Then One Power User Destroyed the Margins

Roundtable researchers have highlighted a striking vulnerability in agentic AI business models: a multi-agent system generating $2.4M in annual revenue through low-cost LLM requests faces existential margin collapse if even one power user operates without strict rate limits. The scenario, which gained attention in AI industry discussions during September 2026, underscores a fundamental economic tension reshaping how teams monetize autonomous systems.