This is called pfof. Pay for order flow. It's very common practice to sell retail flow or exhaust flow to the likes of citadel and a dozen others.
The buyers make money by either taking the spread on an order, reducing risk in their own portfolio or using the order to create impact and internalizing the tail.
The buyers make money by either taking the spread on an order, reducing risk in their own portfolio or using the order to create impact and internalizing the tail.