That's 100% true. In small (and not-so-elite) ways I've seen exactly what you're describing. This is just how humans operate.
The problem only arises when you have elites that have such power, wealth, and influence that their reach is truly global in scale. This is one of many reasons that we need to shift power back towards state & local governments. Scope of influence and power usually runs inverse to the level of accountability, which is incredibly dangerous and damaging.