Heavily quoting one version of how the materially wealthy are superior, in itself already suggests an impoverished mindscape to fully live richly. One erroneously believes in full control at achieving big lifestyle goals, and gambling on others’ models, when one has so much surplus resources that they are wrongly assumed of no consequence how they are depleted. Bizarrely, so-called assets flaunted brazenly are actually secretly worshipped for their divine eternity - when actually, they easily decay into dirt. The mortals of old who supposedly held power of life and death over all in their domain, today we cannot find most of their remains, and their gold has been dispersed worthlessly for other lives to lose themselves over guarding.
Beware when the apparently poor are the new rich who rise above small circumstances and supposed obstacles, their very work the assets that you need to pay them for, or be deprived. They have shrugged off envy, too busy flowing with ever-on learning and multiplier value, expending far less money than you, who have already lost at investment competition.
Your vignette reminds me of how often people equate money with intelligence... For example, someone I know has a friend whose husband just died and left her about a quarter million dollars in life insurance. All of the sudden, this friend is now the smartest person in the room at all times, and whatever her advice, must be weighed much more seriously... about a quarter million times more seriously. Blech.