I am a Psychologist. They gain status from being assholes, because enough people privilege assholes with status. Authoritarianism requires an outgroup to oppress, and people think that hostility and oppression is ‘strength’. The original theory (which is not entirely supported by evidence) of the Authoritarian Personality is based on Freud, and it says that a similar family dynamic of a powerful father who arbitrarily abuses and oppresses others is the basis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarian_personality