Now, let's say there was no premine. Let's say a whale comes and plops several million dollars to buy a huge stake in the blockchain.
Are they accountable to anyone? No.
The difference in this scenario is that the whale invested his/her own money to buy that stake. The whale has a vested interest, which is different than the recipient of a premine, to grow that investment. I am not saying those who receive a premine don't want to see it grow (they do), but a whale who invests millions of dollars of their own money will have a slightly different perspective than someone who was just "given" a substantial distribution.
That's why people that win the lottery often go broke. They don't value the money or know how to use it properly. Or they just don't have the mental side dialed in to hold it.
Excellent analogy IMO.
Compare that to a self-made millionare and the differences become very clear.