Seems to me either you haven't experienced yourself the distinction between wealth creating and status seeking. Or you put it all into the box "they delude themselves they create wealth, to be ignored".
You are right, I don't have rich friends who create wealth. But if I to choose one as a friend or mentor to make the world a better place, I'll side with the person not trying to game an entire society to get richer, regardless of the other's stated intention to "create wealth for everyone".
That said, I don't doubt that they do create wealth, I just think any benefits to society are incidental, and that the logical rigor of their ex post facto justification is lacking.
Why do you insist they must be rich? I had in mind for example engineers who create wealth by solving problems and don't desire to climb corporate ladder.
That said, I don't doubt that they do create wealth, I just think any benefits to society are incidental, and that the logical rigor of their ex post facto justification is lacking.