Alongside the $1,000 iPhone X, Apple also released the $700 iPhone 8.
At the end of the day, the iPhone X was just one option — albeit a new, "super luxury" option.
Much of the attention went toward the iPhone X, as it sported a new design and features. The iPhone 8, on the other hand, wasn't as appealing. The iPhone 8 had the same powerful chips and performance as the iPhone X, and it still offered the excellent iOS experience. But the iPhone 6-style design from 2014 was tired, and people were clamoring for something new.
Still, you now had the options of a more-or-less reasonably priced phone and a "super luxury" phone with an unprecedented starting price of $1,000.
With the available options in mind, it's totally fine that Apple charged $1,000 for the iPhone X. No one forced people to buy the $1,000 iPhone X, and the option to get something less expensive was there.
And there are nine very good reasons to get the iPhone 8 over the iPhone X, too.