The Kingmaker (who owns the real estate) can bestow favours (a spot on the suggested follower onramp) to those who are favoured under the system. These lucky people can in turn can then bestow favours on their acolytes (Everybody Follow X, he/she is AWESOME) and the whole system is amplified by the Heralds of Whuffie, those blogs and lists that amplify the rankings.

Upset the person above you and your plug is pulled, you are out the Whuffie Creation Virtuous circle, and over time you will decline as others more favoured shoot past

Now this is nothing short of Digital Feudalism.