I think you're distinguishing between held and assigned status leaning into a "realpolitik" of status. You're wrong about there being no modern equivalent. To

I think you're distinguishing between held and assigned status leaning into a "realpolitik" of status. You're wrong about there being no modern equivalent. Today we talk about the owner class. Those who own income streams which is equivalent to having the "right" to continuous tax incomes. I would caution that wealth is only a single system to having your needs and desires met farmers can sustain themselves and others, academics actually develop superior knowledge which has transferable value (but less than academia will tell you), and so on.