Billionaires’ Boom in Elaborate Survival Bunkers Amid Global Unrest

The business of fortified shelters is experiencing a significant boom, with billionaires leading the charge in constructing elaborate survival bunkers. This trend has been fueled by global unrest, escalating armed conflict, and increasing political tension. The wealthy elite are sparing no expense in ensuring their survival, with their preparations going far beyond the simple underground shelters often seen on reality TV shows.

These high-net-worth individuals are taking steps to protect themselves from a variety of potential threats, including civil unrest, cyberattacks, nuclear bombings, power grid failures, and drastic climate change events. Many are working directly with general contractors to build kitted-out end-times bunkers, while others are seeking the services of specialized companies.

Ron Hubbard, CEO of Texas-based Atlas Survival Shelters, has seen a surge in demand for his services. “It got really busy, and it seems like the phone hasn’t stopped ringing; World War III seems like it’s coming,” he shares. He adds that the news about Mark Zuckerberg’s bunker “caused a buying frenzy.” Hubbard is currently constructing a $7.5 million bunker for a client in Oklahoma that is in the design phase.

Robert Vicino, founder of Del Mar, California-based Vivos, which creates underground survival shelters, agrees with Hubbard’s sentiment. “Now that Zuckerberg has let the cat out of the bag, that’s got other people who share his status or are near his status starting to think, ‘Oh God, if he’s doing that, maybe he knows something that I don’t, maybe I should seek this out myself.'”

Al Corbi, president and founder of Virginia-based SAFE (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), which caters to custom designs for the uber-rich, notes that many billionaires are particularly focused on how to survive power grid failures. “A lot of these guys are buying up King Air or older planes that don’t have the electronic avionics, and keeping one or two older cars built before 1986 in their collection, so they’ll still function in an EMP [electromagnetic pulse].”

The average shelter that Hubbard sells “on a daily basis” is in the $200,000 to $400,000 range. Due to global demand, bunker air filtration systems are becoming scarce, so Hubbard bought up 711 of them in December to keep up with growing clamor. He reveals that the company is currently working with two billionaire customers in the U.S., “both related to Facebook,” but their bunkers cap out below $500,000.

At the higher end of the spectrum, Corbi is working on a spectacular project due to be completed in 2025. This is an island fortress created on a 200-acre property in the U.S., with cutting-edge tactical systems. “The shelter can withstand a blast one mile from ground zero,” says Corbi. “But that was almost incidental. The client [a business mogul] was saying, ‘I want to make sure that no one can get to my family,’ so we wound up literally building a 30-foot-deep lake [around the compound] skimmed with a lighter-than-water flammable liquid that can transform into a ring of fire. The only access to the island is a swing bridge.”

In addition to the fiery moat, Corbi’s project also includes water cannons that can take down parachuters, Apache helicopters, or any other airborne threat. “Then we took all the dirt removed for the lake to literally build a mountain as natural fortification around the property. And we cut a tunnel through with flame-throwers, gassing systems, a steel wall that closes midway that could stop a 16-wheeler going 80 miles an hour, and bollards at both ends.”

The next-level question becomes where to go if something somehow happens to the primary shelter. Corbi mentions elaborate tunnel systems that route people to alternate bunkers, plus “all types of extraction devices and systems, but that really isn’t something I can talk about; let’s just say, on all the super-yachts, there are helicopters and submarines.”

SAFE has partnered with Virginia medical consulting company Vital RN to offer state-of-the-art decontaminant booths, medical supplies, and rooms with full operating tables in bunkers. “We installed one on Long Island, and you feel like you are in the best-equipped Cedars-Sinai or Cleveland Clinic operating room!” says Corbi.

When it comes to secret passageways and hidden doors, many turn to Arizona-based Creative Home Engineering. Steve Humble, the president of the company, shares that a door can cost more than $50,000. “I’m wrapping a project for a client in the Phoenix area that includes nine secret doors that didn’t spare any expense,” says Humble.

Mike Peters, owner of Utah-based Ultimate Bunker, has found a niche in safe rooms that start at around $50,000 for an 8-foot by 8-foot space with an additional $30,000 for every window. “A lot of people in Hollywood have had their homes broken into, so they need somewhere to go in the middle of the night right by their bedroom or to put their whole bedroom on lockdown,” says Peters.

In the security business, privacy is paramount, but there are always exceptions. “In 50 years, we’ve never had a client harmed or their possessions compromised, so we pick our clients as much as they pick us,” says Corbi.

Our Thoughts

The escalating trend of billionaires investing in fortified shelters is both fascinating and disconcerting. It’s a stark reminder of the disparities in survival preparation between the ultra-wealthy and the average citizen.

While these underground fortresses, complete with state-of-the-art technology, may seem like an overreaction to some, they reflect a deep-seated fear of societal collapse amongst the wealthy elite.

The focus on power grid failures and EMP-proof vehicles underscores the sobering reality of our dependence on technology. It’s a wake-up call for everyone to consider their contingency plans in case of such events.

The ingenuity and creativity involved in designing these survival shelters are remarkable. From flame-throwing tunnels to secret passageways, these projects are pushing the boundaries of survivalist engineering.

Yet, this bunker-building frenzy also raises ethical questions. It’s important to ponder whether these resources could be better utilized in addressing the very threats these bunkers are built to withstand.

Ultimately, survival is not just about individual preparedness but also about collective action. As we marvel at these survivalist feats of engineering, let’s not forget the importance of fostering resilience in our communities.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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