Billionaires across the world are quietly preparing for a future that looks uncertain, and their preparations are raising eyebrows. Reports over the past few years have revealed that some of the wealthiest individuals on the planet are investing heavily in fortified bunkers, private islands, and self-sustaining compounds designed to withstand everything from pandemics to nuclear war.
The question of the hour is whether these moves are simply extravagant displays of wealth or whether they signal something the rest of us should be concerned about.
The secret prep being done by Billionaires
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has become one of the most prominent examples. On the Hawaiian island of Kauai, he is building a massive compound at Koʻolau Ranch, reportedly worth over $400 million. According to a BBC report, the property includes a $100 million underground bunker, complete with blast-resistant doors and tunnels connecting different parts of the estate.
While Zuckerberg has faced criticism for the scale of the project, he has publicly dismissed the “doomsday” label. In a 2024 interview, he said the underground space was merely a “little shelter” and added, “It’s like a basement.” His comment was an attempt to downplay the idea that he is preparing for an emergency situation, though the size and features of the estate suggest otherwise.
Zuckerberg is not alone. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman admitted in an interview that nearly half of his billionaire friends in Silicon Valley have some form of secret hideaway or are working on one. Hoffman even joked that saying you are “buying a house in New Zealand” has become a kind of code among the wealthy for preparing for global collapse.
As reported by The Economic Times, New Zealand has indeed become a hotspot for these projects. PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel purchased land near Lake Wanaka in 2015 with the intention of building a bunker. However, in 2022, local authorities blocked his plans, arguing that the construction would damage the natural environment. Despite this setback, New Zealand continues to attract billionaires who see it as a safe haven far from geopolitical tensions.
Other names frequently mentioned include Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, and Google co-founder Larry Page. Many of them have purchased large tracts of land on islands, often with underground facilities. Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle, famously bought 98 percent of the Hawaiian island of Lanai in 2012. Elon Musk, though not known for bunkers, has his own escape plan in the form of rockets and ambitions to colonize Mars. Musk has been blunt about his reasoning, saying in 2021: “We don’t want to be one of those single-planet species, we want to be a multi-planet species.”
What why are billionaires doing this?
The motivations behind these projects vary. Some billionaires cite concerns about climate change, pandemics, or the possibility of nuclear conflict. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in 2020, accelerated interest in secure and isolated living arrangements. Others are worried about social unrest, fearing that growing wealth gap could eventually lead to violent uprisings. The idea that wealth itself could make them targets in times of crisis is not far-fetched considering the current economic situation, and bunkers offer a way to insulate themselves from the chaos. Conspiracy theories have also circulated, suggesting that the ultra-rich know more than they are letting on about potential global disasters. While there is little evidence to support such claims, the secrecy surrounding these projects fuels speculation.
The social implications are perhaps the most troubling aspect. If the wealthiest individuals are preparing for a future where society collapses, what does that say about their faith in collective solutions? Instead of investing in global efforts for survival – such as renewable energy, healthcare systems, or disaster preparedness – they are building private fortresses. This raises the possibility of a world where survival is determined not by cooperation but by wealth. The idea that billionaires could retreat to luxury bunkers while the rest of humanity struggles is a chilling one, and the widening gap between the rich and everyone else should be a cause for concern for everyone.
