Billionaire hit with major setback on plans for beach in front of his multimillion-dollar: 'Shouldn't exist'

After a billionaire suffered another setback in a long-running property dispute, social media users reacted with a healthy dose of schadenfreude.

Silicon Valley mogul Vinod Khosla has been trying to restrict public access to the coastline near his $32.5 million home since 2008. As the British newspaper, the Mirror reported, Khosla put signs around his property to block the road to the beach, in violation of the law. California courts have consistently ruled against Khosla, and the Supreme Court refused to take up the case in 2018.

Redditors on r/EatTheRich could scarcely contain their glee at the news.

On a thread discussing the case, one user commented, "Private beaches shouldn't exist. The coastline belongs to all of us."

Another added, "Public access to the beaches in California and Texas goes back centuries in Spanish law. This one percenter thinks he is special."

California's Constitution is unambiguous on this issue. Article X, Section 4 clearly states that no individual or corporation can "exclude the right of way to such water whenever it is required for any public purpose, nor to destroy or obstruct the free navigation of such water."

Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?

California's Coastal Act is equally clear on preserving public access to its beaches. The discussion highlights the importance of maintaining the public's right to enjoy the coastline and serves as a welcome reminder that even the ultra-rich don't always get their way. One of the biggest drivers of the climate crisis is the lifestyle of the extremely wealthy.

A study by Oxfam, "Carbon Inequality Kills," examined the environmental impact of the ultra-rich. The world's top 10% account for half of all carbon pollution, and the wealthiest have a much greater impact still. Luxuries like private jets and megayachts cause more harmful emissions than the average person does in centuries.

Empowering agencies to enforce the law and rein in the whims of the richest individuals is key to sustaining a healthy environment for everyone to enjoy.

As one of the comments said, "In California there is one agency that is more supreme, powerful and righteous than any other state entity, including the governor and the state supreme court, and that is the California Coastal Commission. They don't lose cases, ever."