Many are teachers only few are traders. They make their money from selling trading courses, teaching trading classes, creating trading contents for YouTube and other social media. They have their own trading podcasts and collaborate with people like them to talk about trading yet, they have never been successful at trading.
You have already nailed it bro with your first sentences. Many of these trading gurus aren't real traders but more of a commissioners from the courses that they're selling and also affiliates and earns a lot of money from their referrals to the exchanges that they're advertising.
You might even see a very successful trader in the forum but just plays lowkey unlike these, they're known for what they are and that's why they're influencers, and that's it.