Essential for whom? The only way you benefit from helping others is if you actually care about the feeling, or feel a society with a big gap between low/rich isn't to your liking.
This is not true. It's demonstrable that in more equal societies, the wealthiest citizens also gain benefits on a wide range of factors, relative to the wealthiest in less equal societies.
This is not true. It's demonstrable that in more equal societies, the wealthiest citizens also gain benefits on a wide range of factors, relative to the wealthiest in less equal societies.