I think it’s far worse than that, sadly. Some people chase after something - daddy / peer approval? - that they will never have, and certainly cannot buy with money, yet they’ve inappropriately decided to triple down on attaining more money as their means to solve their other personal issues. And then control all of society trying to get people to look down on anyone who does otherwise.

Really they don’t even desire the money, like a zombie munching, yet unlike a living being’s hunger response from which it was originally born, it will never become sated, it’s just an endless intake with no purpose (anymore).