Open competition is great for the 1% that are already rich.
Not exactly
The very rich tend to subvert open competition through regulatory capture and corruption. This is the double edged sword of the State; it might seem like a tool to control the power of the robber barons, but soon enough they find a way to control it, at which point you find all the powers you have naively invested in the State wielded against you.
This is a very good post.