It says Waite “commisioned” Smith to draw the cards so she, maybe, got some compensation but nothing about her getting anything from the sales.
Smith was one hell of a woman though.
Smith also illustrated over 20 books, wrote two collections of Jamaican folklore, edited two magazines, and ran the Green Sheaf Press, a small press focused on women writers.[4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Colman_Smith
https://tarotarts.com/pages/rider-waite-smith
It says Waite “commisioned” Smith to draw the cards so she, maybe, got some compensation but nothing about her getting anything from the sales.
Smith was one hell of a woman though.
It seems she was paid but not very well: “a big job for very little cash”
https://www.openculture.com/2025/10/meet-the-forgotten-female-artist-behind-the-worlds-most-popular-tarot-deck.html