Python and JS succeeded long before they had a static type system. Many people still use Python and JS today without type annotations. Elixir is not statically typed either and seems to be doing fine.
I like static typing and agree that it will eventually "win", but I really don't see where you're coming from here.
> I know it's trying very hard to catch up to statically typed languages now by retrofitting some type system
What makes you say that?