When you buy something through the internet, you can bet there are lots of mediators taking cuts between producer/consumer, even when buying it through official means. Add in credit cards inflating prices through interests, then add in FOMO marketing to increase prices, then add in scalpers reselling already inflated ticket prices, and tons of other ways that we don't even know that are happening. Abstractions over abstractions over abstractions, modern day innovation is finding a way to put yourself between producer/consumer to extract value without doing any material work. "Survival of the richest by Rushkoff" has some interesting insights on the contemporary tech industry.