During December, Wired magazine reveals Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta and one of the richest individuals on the planet, is reportedly building a $100 million US complex in Hawaii.
The fact that Zuckerberg is embarking on a nine-figure makeover is hardly a revelation. An even more important detail is that the site includes a bunker. Specifically, his 5,000 square feet with concrete walls and escape hatches.
What does this tell us? This is a sign that at least some of the ultra-wealthy are concerned about global events and are making contingency plans for their big companies, no matter what form they take.
I can really feel that feeling.Architectural Digest name “Luxury Bunker” Beautifully appointed forts are one of the real estate trends of 2023 and featured prominently in a recent Netflix thriller movie. leave the world behind.
Brian Kramden, president of Hardened Structures, a Virginia-based company that builds multimillion-dollar fortified homes and bomb shelters, said work had been “steady” for years, but “the last couple of years… “We've seen a significant increase in the last three months.” ”
“I get a lot of inquiries about Putin and North Korea and what's going on in Gaza,” he said. “the [wars], it's Trump and the division of the nation. ”
Kramden said the most commonly cited threats include a breakdown in law and order. Explosion of a nuclear weapon. A hostile force launches an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) to disrupt communications networks. and the diffuse effects of climate change.
Vivos, a California-based company that provides “shelter solutions,” told CBC that “inquiries and applications are up more than 2,000 per cent year-over-year.”
Evacuation history
The concept of a bunker dates back to ancient times. A cultural geographer based in California, Bunker: Building for the Apocalypse.
He said the concept of shelter as an architectural form began to emerge during World War II. As the Cold War progressed, governments dug deeper underground and built increasingly elaborate bunkers. Some are Canada's famous Diefenbunkerwere intended to protect political elites, but were often intended to contain civilians in case of attack.
Ottawa's Diefenbunker Museum, built in 1959 to house personnel in case of a nuclear attack, received $600,000 in federal funding to renovate the facility, including adding Algonquin to the audio guide language. We plan to receive the offer.
Of course, middle-class “preppers” built a shelter in the backyard, but could not match the scale and grandeur of those state-sponsored projects. Things changed in the early 2000s, when larger private bunkers began to proliferate, Garrett said.
He believes this is the result of two factors: the end of the Cold War and the runaway wealth of the world's elites.
“There are a lot of people with incredible amounts of money who can buy government-built bunkers,” he said.
Companies like Hardened Structures and Vivos handle all aspects of construction, from architectural design to engineering. This usually means making it bombproof, airtight, difficult for intruders to break into, and capable of generating its own electricity.
The most elaborate underground bunker Garrett found while researching his book was survival condo, located in a former missile silo in Kansas. Built around 2010 by a real estate developer who once worked for the US Department of Defense, the “nuclear-hardened” structure features walls up to 2 3/4 meters thick and can accommodate between 36 and 75 people. Masu.
In addition to providing each unit with a five-year supply of “freeze-dried and desiccated survival food,” the complex will include an indoor pool, classrooms, library, and two floors of hydroponic gardens to “provide fresh produce.” be. It also has filtered air and water supply. Units are priced between $1.5 million and $3 million.
privileged customer
This is quite cheap compared to products from Swiss-based companies Oppidumspecializes in building “ultra-luxury fortress underground residences” anywhere in the world. It has many useful options, including: Model D'Heritage (“The Ultimate Custom Sanctuary”) is a 12,000 square foot, five-bedroom unit that includes a pool and home theater, with prices starting at US$60 million.
Watch | Oppidum Luxury Bunker Promotional Video:
“Oppidum's luxury bunkers aren't just about survival, they're about maintaining quality of life and peace of mind in any situation,” Tom Grumela, the company's communications director, told CBC News. ” he said.
Camden said Hardened Structures has become busy and is taking on projects under $1 million. He has been involved in projects around the world, including a $90 million bunker in the Middle East and a 100-person shelter in the Canadian Rockies, which are as geographically specific as he knows.
“One of the principles of shelter design is that you don't want anyone to know about it,” he says.
These companies have very strict customer confidentiality, so builders usually only meet with an intermediary, such as a lawyer.
“It's very rare that you actually meet a millionaire client,” Kramden said. “Even when they do, they always have an alias.”
“Merchant of Fear”
For safety, the wealthy are not only investing in underground housing, but also purchasing military vehicles, such as variations of the Batmobile.
Rezvani Motors — another California-based company — “Urban tactical vehicle” That includes the Vengeance, a muscular SUV that seats seven and has an “optional bulletproof package.” Prices start from USD 285,000. NFL wide receiver Tamari Cooper has it, too.
Rezvani's Hercules 6×6 Military Edition has six wheels and additional safety features such as an on-board gas mask, electric door handles, and a “lower explosion arrester.” It will cost him US$459,000.
“Having security features installed in a vehicle gives many customers peace of mind,” said Cynthia Karimi, head of public relations and customer relations at Rezvani Motors, adding that the number of vehicles the company sells each year is He did not say whether he would do so. . Her clients “have the resources to have an additional element of protection in their lives,” she said, noting that “these are the same people who have bunkers in some cases.”
Garrett admits he's interested in this kind of end-of-life planning, but is concerned about “when the bunker becomes a business proposition.” He calls these companies “terrible merchants” in his book.
Watch | Vivos' Europa One bunker complex promotional video:
“They're not just selling space, they're selling a story,” he says. “It's in the interests of these bunker builders… to sell a story about how terrible things are, how the world is falling apart, and get people to buy into their plans.”
Gurumera takes a different view. Oppidum's “customers are forward-thinking people who understand the importance of preparedness in an unpredictable world,'' and spending millions of dollars on luxury nuclear shelters is a result of “personal safety and It reflects a broader trend among ultra-high-net-worth individuals to prioritize resilience” and financial planning strategies. ”
personal protection
The wealthy may have resources, but they cannot predict the future. They can only predict difficulties.
Guardian article in 2022, technology critic Douglas Rushkoff tells of attending a secret meeting with the ultra-wealthy who tried to pick his brain on how to prepare for an “event.” They questioned him not only about shelter, but also about the wisdom of acquiring mercenary troops and where they were most likely to be safe on Earth.
His conclusion: “Their extreme wealth and privilege insulate them from real and present dangers such as climate change, rising sea levels, mass immigration, global pandemics, xenophobic panic, and resource depletion.” It just made them obsessed with protecting them. For them, the future is about one thing: technology is important: to escape from the rest of us.”
As Garrett points out, cooperation is likely to be a winning strategy in an apocalyptic scenario.
“Community is really important because not everyone has all the skills needed to survive an event,” he said.
“For example, imagine being locked up in a bunker for three years. Suppose there's something horrifying going on outside and your tooth gets an infection. So unless you're a dentist, you can't fix that problem. It's very unlikely.” ”
Vivos takes care of this. xPoint compound A 575-unit bunker community built on a former U.S. military base in South Dakota.
“Vivos is not just about concrete, steel, and blast doors; it’s about having a backup plan for human survival. And as these events unfold, there are opportunities for families to potentially become part of a like-minded community,” Dante Vicino, director of operations at Vivos xPoint, told CBC. stated in an email.
Garrett said this is a fairly recent occurrence.
“Now we see people building bunker communities like this, where the goal is for people with complementary skills to migrate to each other,” he said.
“There's a kind of matchmaking process that I think is very appealing.”
