Don't get me wrong no one is arguing that money doesn't affect your future of course it does but it's only one factor and a factor with a lot of diminishing returns.

I don't personally see that Bill got where he did due to some exceptional wealth both because I don't consider the Gates pre-Microsoft exceptionally wealthy by US standards and that wealth can only grant you opportunities.

Considering who his parents were in terms of their achievements I'm also not so sure we can claim that Bill Gates without Lakeside would've not have been 'Bill Gates' sure it's nearly impossible to estimate the effect of each individual moment in ones life but if we take it on a macro level I think the character of his parents influenced him considerably more than their wealth.

To make my point even clearer at some point say magically $250,000 a year I don't think wealth is a factor in your success unless you completely inherit it (e.g. inheriting a business). At the point when you can live in a good and stable home, receive good education and discipline both at school and at home money isn't going to be the deciding factor in your success if it's your success.