Yes. Yes it did. In the age of Caesar. That was when consolidation of wealth destroyed democracy. The prosperity that followed was largely due to the momentum that had developed previously. It was limited by communications in particular. Ultimately the consolidation of wealth lead to all of that wealth abandoning Italy for the Dardanelles in the long run. The wealthy are the biggest traitors.

Exploitation is nominal because of inherited wealth. Inherited wealth is not meritocratic. Business acumen is not hereditary. The grossly incompetent turn to exploitation as their only form of reliable investment. Without a meritorious societal structure in place, stagnation recession and collapse are the future.