There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others.
Support by United States rulers is rather in the nature of the support that the rope gives to a hanged man.
I love it when characters surprise you, just like real people. When I write a scene I just try to make the characters behave in a way that feels natural to them. Sometimes that means they make a left turn and do something unexpected. Those are always the best scenes in my opinion.