Walt's not a typical meth cook. My understanding is that most people who get into this are either looking for a quick buck, a quick fix, or both. Walt is atypical on both counts:
1. While he's looking for a quick buck, it's specifically to pay bills and provide for his family. It's not so he can get the latest Playstation.
2. Walt never gets high on his own supply.
SPOILERS BELOW
Let's also consider this: Walt *was* broke. He had no cash, which was why he started, and he spent most of the show with very few resources. When he does get access to wealth later on, he's more of a boss than a cook. In underworld terms, there are definitely rich drug lords, but their lives are drought with danger. Consider the show: when Walt gained power and money, he also gained enemies and other problems. His ego flared up (moreso) and he got greedy and power-lusted. These are all problems with drug lords (as I understand it) and on those terms, Walt's depiction is pretty accurate.
With regard to the second point: the other meth cooks we meet (Jesse, Crazy 8, etc.) on the show typically did not have a lot of money. They squandered what they had on frivolous things, smoked the rest, and burned out. Jesse only managed to lurch along because he had Walt dragging him there.
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