For the most part I would imagine there are a lot of entitled people working to secure their own interests in different domains, that have the means to do so, and the collection of those efforts expresses itself as massive inequality.

I think you hit the nail on the head. It feels like it's an eventuality in a class-based society. The upper classes will act in their own interests, they will have more access to power centers and other powerful people thanks to their wealth and position, and they will thus have more power and influence in shaping society for their benefit, breeding inherent inequality.

The concept of meritocracy fosters the notion that those with success have earned it, but society is more complex than that. Hierarchical norms like class allow corruption and nepotism to breed so the most able are not necessarily the most successful. And of course, inequality causes disparities in opportunity and resources available to those who are less well-off.

Addressing this, to me, requires educating the middle and lower classes as well as urging the privileged to shrug off the elitism that makes them believe they "deserve" to have their material desires met more than others because they are "better."