The FAA rules require that the "major portion" of the aircraft be
constructed for the purposes of recreation and education. They don't
care whether it was the owner or another person, or another person's
hairdresser's dog. Just so long as it was built for fun and learning
and not for money.

I left that out but I don't think the FAA intended to include
operations like Lancair or Velocity. If you have the money you just
show up and within two weeks you construct the airframe, hang the
engine, install instruments and are ready to fly away in a
pressurized, turbine aircraft at 350 kts. The builder may have a hand
in the "majority" during that time but the factory is basically being
paid to do the majority of construction. The factory is in the
business of building airplanes and thats why the FAA is taking another
look at approved kits and programs. They don't want it to get to a
point where the factory has you install a tire and say you built the
entire thing.