https://www.reddit.com/r/ZenSys/comments/7adblp/how_do_i_set_up_a_zencash_masternode_and_what_are/
Every 2.5 minutes 0.5 ZEN is shared among all node operators. Since the creation of thread the rewards are a bit lower because there are now over 700 nodes that all have to share the reward.
42 ZEN is about $924 now. The price of ZenCash was boosted from $7 to $26 last month because of a Palm Beach Letter, whose effect may wear off in a few weeks. If you buy the 42 ZEN now and we assume the price goes down to $7 in the coming weeks and the number of nodes rises to 1000 you will earn about $2 a day. Your $942 worth of ZEN is now worth $294. That means it will take 315 days to earn back your $630 loss and another 30 days to pay the server rent at about $5 a month for a year.
... based on how confident you are we might as well take a bet against a future price of zen
You'd also be betting against freak events like Dash pumping like it was Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1977. I mean, who saw that Palm Beach Letter with a Zen recommendation coming a few months ago?