To say that the only people that profited were the two white guys is just ignorant. Watch one of these hunts go down, it usually, 2 white "guides" and about 10 local trackers. If someone pays 50K to hunt the local trackers are tracking and patterning that animal for weeks prior to their arrival. And guess what, the Inn the hunter stays in is maintained by locals, the meals he eats are prepared by locals, the trucks he rides in are maintained by locals, the land he hunts is worked by locals. Why I don't agree with just straight up trophy hunting, to suggest only the white dudes make money off the deal makes you sound like you work for MSNBC.
Perhaps you should read a little more about this particular hunt. From what I've read, he paid $55,000 for a package deal including a trophy lion (for which it now appears they had no permit, thereby cheating the government conservation agencies). The money went to a white "farm" owner and a white guide, who employed a local tracker to carry Cecil's head, so the white guys didn't have to do all the heavy work. I'm certain the white guide paid the local guy an absolute fortune which filtered down through the local economy.
Also to benefit are the many servants of the farm owner who clean the toilets in the guest rooms on the farm. And of course all the local merchants who got rich providing food for the ONE guest. The gas station guy probably sold 8 gallons of gas he would not have sold had not that ONE guest poured money into the local economy.
And one more hint on your trickle down theory. I would bet a huge sum of money that the 55k fee never made it within 5000 miles of Zimbabwe. White folks in Zimbabwe keep no more cash in that country than they can afford to have nationalized or stolen, lessons learned from Rhodesia, a country I visited many times along with most other African countries.
Bronkhorst's company is run by himself, his wife, and his two sons. If he employs locals, he pays them a pittance. Very little ever filters down in local African economies. It filters OUT.
Sure, there was some slight measurable gain due to this ONE guest's week long visit. Due to their getting nailed by the authorities for conducting an illegal hunt, some local attorneys will make a few bucks and the court will siphon off a chunk in fines, which might or might not make it to the local coffers.
Trickle down economics do not and never will work in Africa. The trickle stops at Robert Mugabe who is a multi billionaire. And, btw, other than pocket change, his money is not in-country either.
Rhodesia already nationalized the assets belonging to and murdered thousands of whites in their struggle to become Zimbabwe. Many believe something similar could happen again.