Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're saying it in jest but this is closer to the right answer. Features make you money. A large enough project has an infinite backlog. You will be unlikely to make much money from clearing out your backlog.
As a guy who was a part of projects with an infinitely growing backlog (multiple times), I can tell you for certain that _not_ periodically addressing parts of your backlog absolutely will stop you from making more money; even lose you some due to customer churn.
I am as close to a fan of a clear backlog as it can be, but I would also say that an insufficiently deep backlog is probably a sign that you're spending too much on refactors and cleanups.