As the host of this #chessmatch, I'm losing, and am on the cusp of shelling out over $200. I'm actually looking forward to demonstrating my trustworthiness to the community.
It gives me scope to try new ideas, with a ready store of goodwill. (I'm keeping the same in SP, so this is still the most I'll ever be paid for a chess match, even assuming I lose).
The guys starting a new account, then building up enough rep to have people trust them with wasted upvotes, are like guys who go wading around in wishing wells, fishing out spare change.
If that's the full scope of their ambition, they're missing the point of this platform.