What could have led this group of the best and the brightest to betray their fellow elites?
Have elites really ever been a unified group? It is by definition made of people with a certain amount of greed and money hoarding tendencies, why wouldn't they constantly betray each other for more money?
This might be an example of Peter Turchin's "elite fratricide".
I haven't heard of him. Is that idea drawn from his book End Times?
there has never been honour among thieves.
Being an Elite for any length of time simply requires:
1. competence
2. lack of empathy or remorse for others vs self