It seems there are two types of remote workers, but it’s changed in the last few years.
Remote working in the early days were for those who had something: either an endorsement or network. The best remote jobs were available to people who had already ‘proved’ their worth, typically from stints working at a big name company and often with a successful exit. For those remote workers, they get to set the terms and rely on heavily opportunistic hiring. They have their quality of life set up, the house overlooking the beach, the experience of successful exits meant the hiring company was eager to make exceptions.