That is objectively not true. In my line of work I on occasion brush shoulders with people you might call "the elite" and I can tell you as a matter of fact they are Apex Predators.

The dull with inheritance get wiped out on deals that go sideways and somebody ELSE ends up with their inheritance.

The old families have another technique wherein they send their kids to elite boarding schools where they become close friends with super high IQ grade A mathematics kids - who they later go on to hire as their trusted servants. Ensuring that even if they're not the smartest guy in the room, one of their personal assistants is.

Trying to win against the winners, you will lose, every single time.