I wasn't familiar with that term until I just looked it up ("multilevel marketing"), but yes! There was a line in a quotation from the article that hinted at that kind of pyramid scheme: "The reality is that platforms like Twitch, Nifty Gateway, etc., heavily reward their biggest creators in order to incentivize the general public to participate, creating the network effects that investors love so much."

Another example would be how music tech companies use enthusiasts on YouTube by giving them their gear for free so the reviewers will be kind. And it's the same with movie reviewing, when the studios bribe the reviewers with merch. It's a question of the capturing of regulators by the regulated, like how the big banks captured the accountants (Arthur Anderson) and of course Congress.

We used to be able to separate the advertisers from our inner circle, but with social media the line is blurred. We no longer trust professional advertisers since they've obviously been deceiving and manipulating us for decades. So advertisers rely on regular folks spreading the word to those they trust. Just by using social media, we form the bottom of the pyramid.