As the world spirals into instability due to natural disasters and geopolitical tensions, the wealthy elite are preparing deep underground bunkers to protect themselves and their families from future potential catastrophes.
In a financially tumultuous year from April 2022 to April 2023, Americans spent a staggering $11 billion on survival equipment.
Luxurious bunkers are among the assets that the wealthy around the world want to own. (Photo: The Hollywood Reporter).
During World War II, “doomsday bunkers” were simply places to escape bombs and disasters. In the 21st century, billionaires are constructing bunkers equipped with amenities like swimming pools, spas, wine cellars, and theaters to continue their lives, “regardless” of the turmoil in the outside world.
They are investing hundreds of millions into bunkers that rival luxury resorts and private islands. These “survival apartments” pose the question to the public: Are they preparing for the apocalypse, or planning for a unique life underground?
According to the Mail on Sunday, Mark Zuckerberg, the youngest self-made billionaire in the world and founder of the famous Facebook platform, has decided that a simple vacation on the island of Hawaii is too ordinary. Instead, he chose a $100 million bunker complete with all the luxurious amenities of a high-end resort.
Comfortable interiors are essential in these bunkers.
While many billionaires claim their wealth is for saving the world and even argue over who is more generous, experts suggest that the ultimate goal of the super-rich is self-preservation.
For instance, Texas-based Rising S sells bunkers with the motto: “We don’t sell fear. We offer preparation.” The company offers bunkers starting at $40,000.
Among them, the company’s most luxurious bunker, known as the “Noble” line worth $9.6 million, comes with a private bowling alley, swimming pool, “bulletproof” doors, and a spacious garage. The company’s most expensive bunker is priced at around $14 million.
However, the company states that they often customize the shelters to match their affluent clients’ desires. Additionally, they have built anything from executive suites to stables, shooting ranges, and basketball courts into the shelters. Rising S’s bunkers can also include multiple guest rooms, preparing for visitors.
Beyond protecting clients, bunker manufacturers promise that clients will have the most normal life possible. (Photo: New York Times).
Another one of the bunkers from Vivos (based in California), called Europa One, located in Germany, provides families with living spaces exceeding 250 square meters.
This site features a cinema, garden, swimming pool, and buildings surrounding the compound for security.
Sharing with Insider, Vivos stated that their bunkers are designed to allow residents to live for at least a year without needing to return to the outside world.
However, this company claims that their clients are not part of the “top 1% elite”, but rather educated middle-class individuals with a deep awareness of current global events.
The company offers starting prices of $35,000 per person with “significant discounts” available for individuals with vital survival skills.
Nonetheless, many experts believe that billionaire bunkers, whether on land, at sea, or even on another planet, are best seen as temporary solutions since the likelihood of such shelters “actually protecting their inhabitants from reality is very low.”
