The University of California Santa Barbara is developing a dormitory to house 4,500 students in an 11-story building which is notable for its windowless rooms. The project is being funded by billionaire investor Charles Munger who is the vice chairman of the conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway.
An architect involved in the project resigned in protest in part due to the fact that it was “unsupportable from [his] perspective as an architect, a parent, and a human being”. The resignation letter went on to cite that the exposure to the environment had physical and mental health benefits that would be undermined by the proposed construction.
The architect also stated that the true innovation in the design is in how it would exploit a tax law loophole due to its size and density.
The billionaire Munger rebuffed any criticism of the design by stating, “I’d rather be a billionaire and not be loved by everybody than not have any money”.
It is apparent that this billionaire oligarch completely dismissed the professional experience of an architect and would rather be a billionaire than “not have any money”. This is a clear example of the contempt and air of superiority that the billionaires have towards the workers despite their role as social parasites who merely play the role of “owners” or “investors”.