When your hotel room has an obstructed view , maybe you complain to the front desk. This is the dark story of howard hughes s 4-year imprisonment in the desert inn penthouse—the richest prisoner in history. [2] he was one of the richest and most influential people in the world during his lifetime. Why he couldnt leave: In reality, hughes stayed in a three-room penthouse suite, mostly in the bedroom, while his staff occupied the lower three floors. Howard robard hughes jr. ( – ) was an american aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. · somehow, the four floors were cleared, and the reclusive billionaire was in for a long stay. So how did howard resolve his problem with the desert inn? · but howard refused to leave ( his room or the hotel in general) or pay an extremely large outstanding bill. · america’s first billionaire , howard hughes , went from being a highflier who romanced hollywood’s top stars to living as an utter recluse. Eccentric billionaire howard hughes had a more creative solution. · when the 61-year-old howard hughes arrived at the desert inn that thanksgiving weekend, his original plan was to stay about 10 days and to look around for investment opportunities. 🏨 what youll discover: He first became prominent as a film producer, and then as an important figure in the aviation industry.