the popular kids in high school

last week, I saw a CSI episode that involved one of the characters going to their class of '98 high school reunion. The girl that headed the popular clique was killed. It turned out she was killed because she and her popular friends alienated a social outcast. Also turned out the killers were promising students who didn't quite succeed. This got me thinking; what happens to the popular kids after high school? Is high school the highlight of their life? Do they continue being nasty even as adults? Also has me realizing; in my high ranking positions, the corporate world is a lot like high school with the cliques, the favoritism.