The world today is set up for money. We live in a money world.
Those that have money have more power and political influence than those that have no money.
Money is tied to social status.
A rich well dressed person get respect from all.
A poor person in ragged clothing get contempt from all.
I think money makes success in life easier (depending on what your goals are), but people have had success in life long before we started living in a money world, maybe because they did not have the goal of owning as much as possible.