1. Financialization of the Economy - finance dominates all other sectors of the economy - people who already have cash make better returns via the stock market, real estate, insurance, lending it out etc. So Old rich people don't have to use their brains much to make cash.

2. All sectors are already monopolized by them. Even Amazon hasn't brought down Walmart which for 25 years everyone was claiming was about to happen. And you won't see Apple taking on Wall St or Google taking out AT&T or Spacex taking out Boeing or any new power ever making a pass at Exxon, Big Pharma or the MIL complex. Why new powers find it so hard?

3. Then there is the great US Dollar. IMF and World bank dont hand over "development" loans to the poors of the world in their local currency but in Dollars. Where are those people going to get dollars from? They either have to sell off their assets to the old monopolies above or forced to buy stuff from the old monopolies above. Keeps them fully dependent. It all ensures old power stays in power without having to compete on merit with new powers.

4. Then there is signalling or mass media messaging 24x7. Tell the world great stories about merit and the market and the elections, and behind the scenes rig the shit out of everything to hold on to your chair. All ambitious people do this young and old and in every country because its in their nature. But the oldies have been playing the game much longer. And their stories and tactics are much richer and deep. See Theory of the Leisure Class. Most of the younger people who are better than them, will constantly be seen PUBLICLY bowing and bending and thanking them for their existence. That doesn't happen by accident.

Thankfully old people die.