If society really does collapse, if they can survive for the first 6 months, there will be a lot fewer people to deal with, and they may be able to gain some po

If society really does collapse, if they can survive for the first 6 months, there will be a lot fewer people to deal with, and they may be able to gain some power through trade, assuming they have enough manpower to protect their supplies. It wouldn't be hard for a wealthy person to stockpile years worth of food so as long as they can stay out of site, they could stay holed up for years until the big die-off is over and some semblance of order is restored. Of course, finding a place in the new order is not guaranteed.