Who are the elites everybody talks about? Rich people?

Most rich people weren't born rich. That's the part that all these theories about an oligarchy leave out. Some rich people were born rich. But most rich were born non-rich, and are overachievers who became rich.

Overachievers are more likely to be greedy. Overachievers are also more likely to hustle their way into power. That's just human nature. Some people always rise to the top. There isn't some big conspiracy.

So is society supposed to repress overachievers? Is society suppose to limit wealth, or limit the communication overachievers have? How exactly can an elite be prohibited?