Another aspect of it is that people try and emulate charismatic leaders - in the hope of reproducing their success. If the guru says to give everything to the guru then the followers sometimes comply - because it is evident that the guru has things sussed - and is someone to be copied and emulated. Sometimes this strategy works - and it is possible for a cooperative follower to rise to power within the cult. However, if the gurus' success is largely down to their skill at feeding off their followers, the gurus are often heavily outnumbered.