Question for the whales

There are a few questions I have for those with a large influence on Steemit, otherwise known as whales.

Since you have amassed a large amount of influence within the realm of Steemit, I assume you have been here for a while. First off, how long has this platform existed? I have only known about and used it for a few days, but I'm sure it has been around longer than that.

The second question I have, is how long have you been on Steemit and how long did it take for you to gain influence? There are some of you that gain hundreds or even thousands of dollars off of your posts, and that is astounding to me.

My final question regards the payout system. How does it work? How do you actually cash out on the Steem you have collected?

Thank you for your time.