For every localized case, including critical ones such as the army, historically super rich and powerful people would distort the system.

There are countless examples of rich or powerful and connected people buying officer posts, for example, and meritocracies (= equality of chances) stomping all over these corruped systems.

There's little reason to believe rich people willingly or not, do not distort every market they're in. That's why they become rich, to be powerful.