I think that it is entirely fair that you ask this question. When looking at the financial health of a club, there is no one bit of the annual report that will tell you the answer that you are looking for. You will need to look at the income statement (which will show profit and/or loss and how you get there), cash flow (because you can only spend cash) and the balance sheet (as this gives an indicator of the assets that we have on the balance sheet and the liabilities that will need to be paid). It's not the whole picture as the annual report is mainly backward looking or a point in time assessment.
In terms of answering the question "are the club just making money out of us" you will be able to see this from the wage that is paid to Levy plus any dividends that are paid. Given the risk that they bear, it is only sensible that they make some money out of it as well. You will then need to look at the other clubs to understand if that level is acceptable to you. For that I would say, instead of doing the research for yourself, read the swiss ramble. It's really good and explains the ins and outs of the clubs finances, but also other clubs so you can make that comparison.
Good advice, but I'd add to it
- Football historically has not been a good money making venture (it's actually bad business), it's been more a passion business (never a good idea). Exponentially more people have gone bankrupt vs. make any money at all.
- Very few, if any clubs make a significant profit. Chelsea is blatant money laundering & ego project, City is a PR/ego project.
- The investments in the last decade have come because people see a growth industry (tv/media deals) that could spell profit in long term.
Fans are generally idiots who can't even connect two thoughts in their own heads, e.g.
- Why don't we just buy x or y player for 50M + why is my ticket so expensive
- I don't want us to move, I don't care how much it costs to rebuild in same place + I expect ticket prices in new stadium to remain the same
- Just pay Toby/Kane/etc. what they want + why should I pay for a full price kit when knockoffs are half the price
The difference between Levy and say Pool/United ownership is Levy is making massive structural investments in the future of this club
- The training ground, stadium and area regeneration will help this club be competitive/relevant for decades.
- In addition, the on field quality of product has consistently improved over last 12+ years
In light of that alone, I really don't give a fudge how much money he makes, because he's giving me value for my money (my interpretation), a quality product that doesn't embarrass me (see other clubs conduct/chaos) and is securing the future of the club for decades to come.