This is something I've wanted to comment on in my blog, something to the note of "crap floats to the top."
Basically, in an even environment, where you have people who act fair and kind, and people who will backstab and cheat, eventually, the cheating backstabbers will win. Once a backstabber wins, things get even harder for the honest folks. The cycle continues so that more backstabbers win.
You end up with a system where only the most maniacal monsters are able to claw and bite their way to the top, while the honest folks are either happy with where they are and get crushed by the abusive jerks at the top, or get stomped on constantly as they climb ever-so-slowly.
You have a system where only crap floats to the top. This is, essentially, our civilization. Good people can be on the top, but it is very rare. For the most part, cruelty, abuse, dirty pool, nepotism, and the like are the ways people get to the very top of things.
So, yes, those in power suck, for the most part. As for "those who want to be rich" it should be noted rather as "those who are just like those at the top, except not yet at the top" also suck.
Wanting to be rich has nothing really to do with it. Ask somebody "would you like a million bucks?" and everyone would honestly answer positively. Ask them if they'd be willing to backstab and be evil for it, and most people sit comfortably in their places as grunts.
It is nice being one of the good guys, even if we are little mice waiting for the evil tyrant to fall.