When I describe poor, I just mean lack of access to capital. Hard to have any leverage when you don't have any capital, but even then, in any free market system where the laws/regulations are followed, the leverage the whales have can dissipate if they make the wrong move, as I alluded to in my GME example.

So the risk is relative, but still proportional. Wall Street is rich because they engage in risk, while poor people generally don't.

Problem with wall street is crony capitalism, but that's another discussion.