The impact of wealth through aesthetics motivates irresponsible production and consumption. Currently, the SDGs do not acknowledge the transformative power of aesthetics or its social, economic and environmental impact. This chapter links the historical and philosophical origins of aesthetics to wealth and describes its negative social and environmental impact on the built environment. This chapter also argues that a shift towards more responsible production and consumption is possible if the links between aesthetics, wealth and the ideology they create can be exposed through their negative impacts. The influence of wealth on taste and the education of taste in architecture is shown in the analysis of the aesthetic of architectural competitions. Using examples that range from social media influencers to the design of sustainable buildings for tourism, this chapter evidences the impact of the aesthetics of wealth in the built environment and its implications for the SDGs.