There have been a few studies showing that elevated testosterone levels in men correlate with an increased desire for status/luxury goods.
Trust the science!
That's true. It's also true that perceived status within a group boosts testosterone levels in primates, and presumably humans.
If I recall correctly, a few dozen monkeys were isolated, and their base T levels measured. Then they put them in a communal cage, where they "sorted themselves out". T levels were rechecked. and the "alpha" males at the top of the social hierarchy saw significant boost. Those at the bottom saw their levels drop,
This was hypothesized to be an evolutionary adaptation. The specimens most suited for the environment (which could always change btw), are induced to be the most aggressive and have the best chance of passing along their genes. The "less suitable" monkeys became docile, took on more body fat, presumably as survival mechanisms to avoid conflict and store calories whenever they could get them out of sight of the alphas,
In the wild these "lesser monkeys" are known to sneak in and risk mating, which could be deadly, but is natures way of keeping their set of genes going in case something changes in the future that makes them more "suitable", like resistance to some disease that wipes out the current "alphas".
Fascinating stuff that mirrors society to some degree, reminding us we're all just slaves to our genetics at the end of the day.
(It might also explain the irrational, visceral hate some have toward steroid use. Maybe it's perceived as "cheating" against nature's "rules".)