I think this is crediting her too much. Like, she is literally some kind of evil genius if she raises money for charity in 2013 then thinks "oooh, time to play the long game" and just...bides her time before setting up a Patreon four years later? If she had that much foresight, she would probably have been far smarter about it.
Honestly, I just think she's thick and tit with money, and her shitness with money is what has led to this mess. She clearly lives from payday to payday, and has never been able to save. She's an impulsive spender, and nothing stays in her bank account more than a couple of days. She's not a brilliant conwoman, she's just someone who can't control her outgoings and whenever she gets a big bill she hops online to rattle the tip jar.