That’s not true. To start with, you have a huge leg up being born in a place where opportunities such as getting a PhD in physics (to take the GP post example)

That’s not true. To start with, you have a huge leg up being born in a place where opportunities such as getting a PhD in physics (to take the GP post example) are available, or even in a place where schools that can prepare one to go to university in order to even think about such things. It also helps a lot to grow up in an environment that’s supportive of such things. How can you “hard work” yourself into any of that?