` ::I found a quote to support my speculation, from this source: In January 1994, Saturn announced its first operating profit, achieved in calendar '93, though the amount wasn't made public. The workforce had grown to 8500 by then, and each employee received a profit-sharing check for about $5100. Though Saturn was still a long way from paying back GM's initial investment, officials hastened to point out several benefits accruing from the new company.  So my guess is when people say Saturn ``never turned a profit`` they're meaning that GM never recouped their investment and actually made money on the line.   `