You only see a negative net benefit because you're not factoring in the fact that if those players didn't have some list to get on, they would focus on more productive achievements, such as the fame points provide, that provide a more useful benefit to the game.
Not to hop on the negativity bandwagon, but fame is technically not "productive", either. It's a measurement of your "success" at the game, but the points are accrued through normal gameplay and actions that would likely be taken even without the fame system. (A possible exception is execution, but details.) They're both just different metrics to rank players for those who are interested.
Also, what's the say they aren't already and simply maintain that wealth to see if it nets another fame point? Or even more simply, what if they just want to be top in everything they can find, both fame and wealth included?
