What makes us a powerful country and economy is the culture set up over the last 200 years. By this I mean the system of property rights that allows people to own homes they can borrow against, businesses they can make money from, etc.
I've heard of studies that show that the primary difference in the economic power of a country is the ability of individuals to keep and control property. This is the foundation that allows borrowing, capital buildup, etc.
Education is a good thing. But Bill Gates was a college dropout.
And Bill Gates daddy was a patent lawyer. Young Billy Gates learned at home what he needed to know to get where he is today.
If you steal from others and have good lawyers, you can get rich.