You can make the same argument for, say, paying protection money to the Mafia or for paying the 30% apple tax.
Just because it’s rational to pay off a monopolistic rent seeker doesn’t mean that the rent seeker generates economic value corresponding to the monopolistic rents they’re extracting.
Just because it’s rational to pay off a monopolistic rent seeker doesn’t mean that the rent seeker generates economic value corresponding to the monopolistic rents they’re extracting.