This is only true in America. American culture has become one where your worth as a person is based on money. If someone has alot of money, they must be better, smarter, etc, than everyone else who has less.

I dont think this holds as strongly in other countries. Other countries do not have the religious like worship of money that is the usa. Having a Phd is seen as higher status than making millions on legal scamming.

My Indian coworkers talk more about people in their country helping other than who is richest in India where the us folks talk about nothing but stonks and what car they will buy next.