Especially successful multi generational wealth likes it's crisis as well, specifically recession is a necessity for their wealth. So often enough a war or pandemic is a time to buy up assets for cheap and just hold them, for the rich, while everyone else is put under austerity.
Rather sadly the only things that have ever significantly reduced wealth inequality are wars, revolutions and plague. All of these affect poor people much worse than rich people. If you’re interested in making people’s life better it’s most effective to work on policies that make the worst off better off (like immigration and trade)
Demand in resources, contracts to industry and stripping people of rights and independence can be very benificial to them. Well-managed constant struggle is a way to achieve that. It sure needs planning ahead and controlling the state, but they do that to some degree anyway.