Working for a big company that pays well does not mean you're at the top 1% of software engineers. It means you're willing to do what it takes to secure that job and maintain it, including moving somewhere many don't want to live.
Some (most?) of that is innate ability and intelligence. Sure, there are well-paying jobs that are unpleasant. But for many others the company literally gets to choose 1 out of 100 candidates.
Getting a job at these companies largely requires studying up on CS101 trivia and CS basics to pass stupid tests. It's practicing how to pass their interview process. It's not "innate ability and intelligence."