As I say, paying for likes is nothing new, but in that case he didn't pay anybody but Facebook, that's what makes it confusing. Though your hypothesis is plausible - even though liking random non-related stuff would make one less like real person for me, it very well might make it more "active" for whatever algorithms are used by facebook or SEO types, and thus more valuable, at least in the eyes of SEO types.
What looks real to you doesn't determine the value of the profile's likes because the screening isn't done by people like you. A brand-new profile only liking one brand is very easy to filter...
