It is a very big nut to crack. It is interesting to watch the similarities in steemit to real world politics.

Whales --> Dolphins --> Minnows = Executives --> Management --> Employees.

Executives work their way through the ranks. They make connections who will provide favourable advise/votes. They work very long hours, make many hard decisions. It's very rare that people focus on the journey they took to get to the top, they only recognize that they are at the top.

Do they deserve it? In my opinion, yes.