As someone who works in the art industry, I can say that this is really not the case for the majority of artists, gallerists, and collectors. A lot of people working in this industry, especially outside the major centers of wealth (New York, London, LA, etc.) are really just making fairly unremarkable middle-class incomes, and do it because they like art and genuinely believe in its cultural importance.<p>That might not be the case if you&#x27;re looking at the Saatchi collection or wandering about in one of Larry Gagosian&#x27;s spaces, but they are the wild exception to the rule.