i keep hearing this trope repeated ad nauseam cos people put no thought into it.

you only need people's money if you can't control their labor.

did a plantation owner in the 1600s need the money of his slaves ?

if you control a robot that can fight and take over land, enslave workers for things robots are bad at, harvest food, create buildings etc. what do you need other people for ? your entertainment? robots can do that too.