Upson Pratt (E.G. Marshall) is a cruel, wealthy, and ruthless business mogul who suffers from mysophobia, which has him living in a hermetically-sealed penthouse apartment outfitted with electric locks and surveillance cameras. His apparent contacts with the outside world are primarily through the telephone and are mostly made to put-upon employees. One stormy night, Pratt receives a call from George Gendron, one of his subordinates, about the fact that his company (Pratt International) has recently bought the Pacific Aerodyne company in a corporate takeover. Gendron also informs Mr. Pratt that the takeover caused a business rival, Norman Castonmeyer, to commit suicide, much to Pratt's delight.