Probably a good number are scalpers, but also some really disorganized people too. You can get stuck with extra theme camp tickets if you're not careful.

If you're part of a theme camp you normally buy as many tickets as youre allotted during the theme camp sale. This sale happens before the public one and the reason you buy as many as you can is because for the last 10 years getting a ticket in the public sale is a lottery. After the public sale you normally redistribute your extra tickets to people who want to camp with you.

The public sale this year was probably pretty easy to get tickets, so people might be stuck with theme camp tickets. Also, BM delayed mailing physical tickets this year to try and boost sales during their final OMG sale. BM did their best to try and screw people too.

There was a big, muddy mess last year with many stranded with no way out. It was widely reported in the MSM because high profile stars were stranded too.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9Khz-AnnKd8

It hasn't been free since 1993.

The demographic skews affluent to be sure, but it's an enormous gathering of highly creative and generous people. With a high preparation bar so it is primarily the highly motivated. Last year's rain cleared out the unmotivated who essentially paid others to pave the way, and those who remained were the happier for that fact.

s/going to Burning Man/living in SF/

Status, approval, escape, be around rich people, etc etc. More than a few people do things that don't make rational sense but perhaps they have a covert survival strategy I or no one else understands.