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That's a really bizarre analysis.

I am sure that Dropbox is able to squeeze some extra efficiency out of their storage requirements by storing only one copy of very frequently stored files, but it is a long way from there to "printing money legally."

Plus, I doubt that anybody on Dropbox is maxing out their storage, much less everybody; any analysis based on that assumption is doomed to failure.

I agree, I highly doubt that the percentage of storage that is non-unique is enough to increase Dropbox's profit margins significantly.

I'm certain they use this and several other techniques such that each user reflects a far less impact on Dropbox's storage than the 50GB bought, but if that's printing money than Amazon would be a first world country by now.

Gmail is also printing money.

Check your email box, about 80% mail are mass delivered, maillists, notifications, etc. Gmail has to only store one copy

Anyone that sells software is printing money. You build one copy and then sell it over and over.

How Dropbox is printing money