there is no meritocracy. there is a moneytocracy. if you have a lot to start with you get extra points towards anything. if you make a lot you get extra points towards anything. this is what billionaires all seem to have figured out. they can do anything they want because they have enough money. there isnt any other metric that is more worth optimizing than money. thats why people go to finance and consulting. it optimizes for making money.