What? In the case of the hypothesis, he gets more delegates. He also gets to take them from the person he is screwing (likely Sanders). Both of those immediate rewards have their own payoffs down the line (eg, in Buttigieg receiving an appointment to a grateful Warren administration or what have you) even if he does not win.

The idea that the Democratic nominating process would be rigged is not ipso facto crazy given that it is publicly acknowledged to have actually happened last election cycle.