Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular and beloved literary characters, and few have enjoyed the impact and legacy that the Great Detective has for over a century. Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and made his debut in 1887 in A Study in Scarlet, but he became widely popular after the first series of short stories were published in The Strand Magazine, starting with “A Scandal in Bohemia”.
Sherlock Holmes appeared in a total of four novels and 56 short stories chronicling different types of cases and adventures, and the Great Detective has maintained his popularity for decades. Sherlock, which brought the detective and company to modern-day London. Sherlock introduced new generations to the Great Detective (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), his partner and friend John Watson (Martin Freeman), and some of their most famous cases but with a twist, and it also unearthed some old questions about the detective.
As mentioned above, Sherlock Holmes is known for his deduction and observation skills along with his knowledge on many topics, which make him the brilliant and famous detective that he is. Sherlock describes himself as a “consulting detective” and takes on a variety of cases as he’s constantly looking for something that can stimulate his mind. Sherlock lives in a flat in London with Watson, who goes on to become his partner, accompanying him in many, many adventures. Now, Sherlock isn’t a proper detective nor does he work for someone specific, yet he lives comfortably and hasn't been seen struggling with money, raising the questions of how he makes money and if he’s actually rich.
It’s suggested in Sherlock Holmes isn’t a detective for the money but for the pleasure of solving the cases, as mental stimulation is a lot more valuable to him than money. In various stories, if the clients don’t have much, Sherlock only asks for the expenses that come up while solving the case, but when wealthy clients are involved, he charges more.
In addition to that, Sherlock’s detective career took off after Watson ed him and started chronicling their many adventures, so there was a bigger income even if he continued to charge less (or nothing) to some. Still, it’s very possible that the Holmes family was a wealthy one, but Sherlock never really took advantage of that and lived modestly, only buying what was truly necessary. Money and expenses hardly ever are details that authors and other artists take into when building their characters, and that inevitably makes way for questions about the subject and some very interesting answers.