A lot of the attraction I have to content and by extension the people behind the content, is authenticity. I think I can feel when people's hearts aren't in it, when they are just doing it because they want a payout. When people love what they do, it tends to shine through their content.
Being authentic also has another value. If the attention and rewards don't come, at least you have the value of doing something you enjoy, well for yourself.
From my very own twisted point of view, I have a simpler method to evaluate authenticity. As long as people don't behave as a brainless social weathercock at any point, more authentic they will look to me.