I think that kind of tech is still 50 years out at minimum...at least the total VR kind. Probably 75 or more. That is serious computer horsepower afterall.
As for the funding it sans workers to provide, say the govt today said “Nuke for all!” and did a Manhattan project to build 1000 plants. They have both the ability and authority to do it. We have the tech to build them ALL in 10 years.
So now we simply sell that power to the world. Why not? we don’t need it. Pour that money into building the matrix and it’s support infrastructure. By the time tech catches up, it’s ready to go and ‘paid for’...as are support costs through ongoing power sales.
Most foreign countries would buy the power to avoid building plants on their soil...like we do here with oil today. Point being, funding and feeding people in this fantasy is easy. The only hard part is the Govt OK to do it.
I still don’t see it, economically. If our government tried to order a giant power-plant building program, the people either wouldn’t do it because they’re not going to be slaves, or they wouldn’t do it because they’re idle drones already. (See the outcome of all attempts to put underclass-persons to work, other than enforcing the alternative of starving to death.) You don’t get anything built if the workers are shot and/or starved ...
I guess I do have more faith in men than you and some other commentators have, which is rather odd when the common trend of discussions on this subject is that everything is women’s fault.