Sure, there are several ways to get a year of status, includable in the lifetime year counter, without staying the requisite number of nights. Complimentary years of Marriott Bonv°y Platinum Elite status have been given out for UA Global Services status and business Marriott AmEx card membership, Gold Elite for UA Premier Gold, inter alia. Not to mention former years of Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) membership, which is a common cause of having fewer nights than might be expected by the number of years.

However, I have never read that merely being a lifetime member adds to the annual counter, in and of itself, every year thereafter. That would conflate the benefit of lifetime status with its cause.