The only really wealthy people are business people who earn through the efforts of others and have a network through which their products or services flow to the final customers.
As an employee you are on the 45 year plan, you start young and as you get more experienced your income will rise then it will hit a plateau in middle age and fall dramatically on retirement.
A business man on the other hand, provided his business is stable and successful, can see his earnings climb steadily and if he retires he can sell the business for a substantial profit.
Being an employee is less risky then being a businessman but the rewards are very much less.