Yes, and in turn the TLD operator requires the rootserver operators, am I missing something? It is only appropriate that part the funds they collect be distribu

Yes, and in turn the TLD operator requires the rootserver operators, am I missing something? It is only appropriate that part the funds they collect be distributed to those that operate the rootservers. By calling it bizarre, I was only reflecting on how arbitrary the parties involved in rootserver operation seemed to be. We could imagine internet company X paying ISP y just to have X.tld resolve to the appropriate server, and other stranger scenarios.