Either suck it up and utilize your anger and envy as impetus for changing your situation into one that you're satisfied with, detach your own self worth from that of your friends or continue to be a baby and keep crying in your slum.
my mother came from a family of cotton pickers, I got a leg up and my children will be getting an even bigger leg up.
This might seem unnecessarily harsh but crying will get you nowhere.
I have envy problems with what I perceive to be lucky rich folks. But that is all just in my own head. If I'm thinking about that then I'm not focused on my own path and will wallow in my own mess.
…Because people like you are whining and not working hard enough?
No- we don’t live in a meritocracy. Productivity is not rewarded proportionately.
Science fiction: there was a book, I forget the name now it was a pulp novel. Aliens breed humans for luck resulting in a fantastic adventure for the lucky girl.
If you’re talking about working for yourself, you can be sure hard work is involved, but it is unlikely to economically enrich you.
But, in the rare case you become rich from hard work; I’m glad the fiction for many became your reality!
What does this mean and why would anyone care?
This might not seem like a problem while you're young and healthy, but as you age and enter the cohort of those who would like to retire, you start to be on the receiving end of discrimination, health issues and less work opportunities.
Hence why in many countries, there are mandatory retirement investments (in Australia we call it Superannuation). This catapults many workers (and would-be retirees) into the investor class. But, this is not a guarantee for all, and requires forethought.
Most people in the US have a 401(k) which makes them owners.