You are right. they worth the big payouts. I myself joined last june ... excited for a while, then when steem price dropped ( seeing my investment go down than 50% as I joined in the hype, I quit for few months ( kept the investment but quit the - communication - better bought more though :(
Returning back to community as if a new commer .... need to establish relations anew!
If I kept faith and communicating during those lost months, I ‘d have made more relations .. more reputation .. and more income by now.
But those people who heavily invested time, effort and money in the low-faith months, now they deserve it.

• And yes we shouldn’t be jealous of them, however, learn from their success !

“Patience ALWAYS pays off” !!
❤️😎