I hate to say this, but I think talent has something to do with it. There are shitty people who make lots of money and are successful. Look at Michael Jackson. Yes people might hate them, and MJ's work wasn't my cup of tea, but you have to acknowledge that they are really good at what they do. Polanski's films are really very good, for the most part.

It seems that people are somehow offended by CC because she was a bully and unpleasant etc, and her writing is shit, yet she still made lots of money out of it. I suspect we wouldn't see these secrets if the writing was winning her literary prizes.