Also worth noting: the profit margins on La Marzocco machines allow the company to fly all their main executives over to trade shows around the world, staying in fancy hotels, many times a year. Companies like Lelit also attend these trade shows, but on very fixed budgets.
I'm not begrudging profits, but at some point, when a company charges $250 for a drip tray cover replacement, the excess should be called into question.
LM's crazy expensive replacement parts / add on parts are one of the reasons why I recommend the Lelit Bianca over the GS3 these days.