Sure but he wasn’t even the best dev on the team, or even someone I would have went to for answers. He just appeared to be. The entire thing was a ruse.

Also, it’s not that he wasn’t running around. That’s actually my point. If running around and looking busy is what it took, he’d do that. Essentially he did everything he could to give the appearance of working.

Now that I’ve been in the industry for over a decade, I can say it’s a pretty common type of character. They’re usually the ones that get promoted.

Without knowing details, it could be that this person (or persons in your experience) are actually delivering work that doesn't fit what you deem to be meaningful work. Yet the businesses are rewarding them. Might be a calibration issue on your side potentially?

I would assume they’re suggesting the company also has misaligned incentives

I think we all have worked with this guy. When he set up his character, he put all his skill points into Charisma.

That is a well-paid rubber duck, and if they're helping the company make money then good for them.