Yes, lots and lots of people (I’d say millions) are smarter than some people that have made lots of money, it has always been like that. Yes, I did read more compared to the likes of Bezos or Page, but I’m sure the same holds true for lots of HNers (Gates looks like he reads a lot but he’s reading lots of fluffy stuff, or so my impression is).

And yes, in the very long run people who read more have a more lasting influence (and you could say their ideas “control” the world more) compared to the people who have lots of money, that’s why nowadays Machiavelli is still actively discussed while the Fuggers are mostly just an interesting Wikipedia entry.