Not sure this contradicts the point the author is trying to make. In today's society, the smart are often the powerful. Not always, there is definitely more nuance there, but I'd guess most agree where previously those with strength would accumulate power over time, it became those social and clever that accumulate power over time. Especially for a definition of intelligence that posits intelligence is your capacity to conform your surroundings to your will. At that point the only ingredient left is greed / ego and we'd see money (power), from the unclever to the clever 😬.
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