It doesn't sound like he won the birth lottery, except insofar as being born to parents whose primary language was English (his essays are what made him famous,

It doesn't sound like he won the birth lottery, except insofar as being born to parents whose primary language was English (his essays are what made him famous, so this extra few years of practicing English was important) and living in a situation where he could attend Cornell. Being accepted into Cornell probably took a lot of hard work. Getting into Harvard after attending Cornell also took hard work. The most convincing argument that pg won any birth lottery that I can think of is that his parents were able to instill a desire into him at a young age to attend an elite university. My parents often spoke of the benefits, but they weren't able to get through to me about the reasons why it's important.