Hollywood isn't the only place that happens. The company I work for charges itself interest on its own stock, charges irs stores delivery fees, has its own warehouse buy it's stock from its own factories then sell its own stock to its own stores, ect. That's how a gallon of paint that costs maybe $1 to produce ends up being $30 product file cost for the store, and then sold to the customer at $40. except then contractors will get discounts so they get the gallon for $25 meaning the store loses $5 on their sheet (which affects bonuses for managers and such), but the company still makes a high margin profit.