I know many cases of no wealth, no connections, South American(s) and success. You should deep dive in hard work that helps the well prepared. Also culture plays. The world is not static. It sounds resentment to not follow the thread and argue more sustanciously.
I'm not saying people without any background or connections can't be successful. I'm saying that it is like winning a lottery to be even born to parents who even read books about how to make their kids successful. With that kind of parental dedication, i have no doubt that their kids would be successful even without reading the book above.
Lets look at the timeline :
1. Be born to a stanford physics professor and his very conscientious/intelligent wife
Your comment sounds like resentment in the context of this post. I have seen many people rising with few chances at born and the context changes depending the country and culture you have. For example, you don't need to pay tuition if you live in a country with free universities and great schools.
I don't know you but it sounds like you are not thinking about that kind of countries.
You edited your message and added a timeline, there are more people stucked before your "pivot" moment. I know a lot of those too.
I think it just seems weird to call it luck when so much of it is the product of hard and deliberate work on the part of the parents and presumably great genetics.
