Hmmm... I can think of some ways to earn your way up to that level:

1. Be active on other people's posts and threads: The rewards don't matter here as much as gaining the attention of other users. People tend to upvote those who make them feel appreciated, and if one happened to be a whale, you're set!
2. (If you can) Post good content: something that people can only find in your account. Preferably, content that can't be replicated by AI, but that's very difficult.
3. Do Not Power Down!! I don't power down HIVE on my main account, and that's how I have 11,000 HIVE POWER right now. If I've been more active, I would've reached 50,000 and I never bought HIVE Power.
4. Create a helpful product... Not sure how to do that one, don't have an idea that clicks yet. But with AI tools, good ideas and marketing matter more than coding experience.