Wouldn't Bill Gates be considered an intellectual? And didn't the benefits of his innovation and others in his industry first serve the populations amongst whom the intellectuals number themselves? Capitalism does indeed reward celebrities, but if we are to regard them as an exalted subset of the masses, on a per capita basis I'd have to say that intellectuals do pretty darn well by comparison.

And if we speak of intellectuals who by choice labor hard in fields where the fruits are sparse, bringing them little monetary reward, should they blame those who attain greater harvest in more fertile fields?