Art Is The World's Greatest Currency

Interesting article on art, money, and having both, all in reference to the Damien Hirst retrospect opening soon at the Tate Modern.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/02/entertainment-us-damienhirst-exhibition-idUSBRE8310SF20120402

I've never been the biggest fan of Hirst's work or his persona, but he makes an interesting argument.

On the other hand, he's a bit contradictory. He talks about how art should be equivalent to diamonds and gold...but if a jewelry or dealer ever tried to sell a rock that wasn't a diamond, or that wasn't as good a cut as they claim, or wasn't done by the expert hand that was guaranteed, that jewel would be worthless (or at least worth less). Hirst counters his critics by saying that "the goal's always been to make art and not money....Money is happy by-product." Yet just three sentences before you find that 

Hirst's spot paintings, for example, are made by employees and untouched by the artist, a fact that did not prevent them becoming status symbols for the rich and famous.

So art's the goal...but not by the artist. And money is a by-product...of his studio which employs up to 100 assistants at any given time working on thousands of "Hirst" pieces. Just seems a little disingenuous to me, which I guess doesn't surprise me with Hirst.