If Gary has any shred of charisma, people will respect his opinions and listen to his words. That applies to young individuals too.

When I was around 10, there was this teacher guy that all the kids respected. He was fun and could be scary stern when the situation demanded it. Kids really liked him and listened to him. He was not rich, his teeth was somewhat discolored cause of tobaco use and I would call him a Gary type character, with an unremarkable life style. But he had charisma and a commanding presence.