In many ways, the wealth distribution curve on Steemit reminds me of the discussions that the first Internet bloggers had -- 20% of the bloggers were getting 80% of the page views (the classic Pareto distribution that you mention), and the very biggest A-list bloggers were getting a very disproportionate share of the audience. The bigger you were, the easier it was to get bigger. And the converse is true as well.
These so-called "power laws" are, indeed, a phenomena in nature as much as on the Internet or blockchain... In fact, the first post I ever wrote on Steemit mentioned the Pareto distribution and wealth in a blockchain world. Haha - that post made $0.01. But I'm inspired by the examples of Steemit users that you cited who persevered, hung in there, and started to reap the rewards. Onward and upward!