*edit*. I just realized that since culture now moves so fast it is becoming more acceptable for regular people to wear sneakers to work. So elites are going to have to go barefoot or something to express exclusivity. If the professor in the lead photo got to teach barefoot I really would say "wow, I could never get away with that".
Programs like these are priced so that employees can attend with employer sponsorship.
Also, if you are a mid-career SWE or are on track to be one, you'd end up in a similar financial position as most "Elites" who attend B-School or Exec Ed programs - tech is a fairly meritocratic industry compared to other comparable white collar roles.
Multiple week long music festivals and retreats for the bourgeoisie where barefoot, robes and rags are in vogue
Its also a lot of fun
HBS's MBA does place well in the entertainment and media industry, but so does Marshall and Anderson, but exec ed programs like the the one the article is about DO NOT, nor do they confer alumni benefits (AMP/GMP/PLD and Senior Exec programs excluded), unless rules somehow changed in the past couple years.
On a separate note, but I haven't bumped into that many youngish (mid-30s and below) HBS MBA grads anymore either in the tech (PM, VC, TMT) industry anymore - it seems that HBS has almost disappeared in our industry compared to Wharton, Haas, GSB, etc.