[rglullis]

Well, he is the one that is arguing that there is some linearity between cost-benefit of such a research. So following his own reasoning, as long as he gets 10x-100x bigger payment compared to a twentysomething, all is good and clean.

There are moral considerations to be done before proposing something ridiculous like what he is doing, and yet he is trying to reduce all ethical considerations into a "simple" matter of economics. Life can not be reduced to spherical cows and trolley problems.