- Billionaires aren’t the only ones prepping for doomsday, but they could be the most prepared if the world gets hit by an asteroid or nuclear missile.
- In recent years, companies have built “billionaire bunkers” that cater to the apocalyptic fears of the superrich.
- The bunkers are not only safe from bombs and cataclysmic weather events, but also come outfitted with luxury amenities like game rooms and indoor pools.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
A lot has changed since December 21, 2012, when around 10% of people falsely believed the world would end.
The effects of climate change have become more frequent and severe, threatening vulnerable areas with floods, hurricanes, and extreme heat. Machines have become more intelligent, leading some to worry about a technological overthrow of society. And the possibility of global nuclear warfare looms even larger, with North Korea continuing to advance its nuclear weapons program.
Read more: The nuclear ‘Doomsday Clock’ is closer to midnight than it’s been in 58 years
Predicting one of these unlikely doomsday scenarios may be impossible, but planning for them isn’t if you’re a member of the 1%. Take a look at the “billionaire bunkers” that could house the superrich during an apocalypse.
Amid growing threats to the safety of our planet, a small group of elites — namely, Silicon Valley execs and New York City financiers — have started to discuss their doomsday plans over dinner.
In some cases, these conversations have prompted wealthy individuals to purchase underground bunkers to shelter themselves during a disaster.
"Billionaire bunkers" don't need to be built from scratch.
A few companies now manufacture luxury doomsday shelters that cater to superrich clientele.
The Vivos Group, a company based in Del Mar, California, is building a "global underground shelter network" for high-end clients.
Their fanciest compound, known as Europa One, is located beneath a 400-foot-tall mountain in the village of Rothenstein, Germany.
The shelter was once a storage space for Soviet military equipment during the Cold War, according to the company's website.
Source: Vivos
In exchange for purchasing a bunker, residents are provided with a full-time staff and security team.
The property is designed to withstand a close-range nuclear blast, airline crash, earthquake, flood, or military attack.
A typical living quarters has two floors. On the lower level (shown below), there are multiple bedrooms, a pool table, and a movie theater.
Each family is allotted 2,500 square feet, but has the option to extend their residence to 5,000 square feet.
This sample movie theater can fit a family of five.
The bunker includes communal spaces, such as a pub for tossing back a few while the world comes to an end.
Or a chapel for sending prayers to the rest of humanity.
When doomsday arrives, the company envisions residents arriving in Germany by car or plane. From there, Vivos will transport them via helicopter to their sheltered homes.
The full underground structure stretches nearly 230,000 square feet.
There are only 34 private living quarters, so space is limited.
But the price will likely preclude most people from buying. Private apartments start at $2.5 million and fully furnished, semi-private suites start at around $40,000 a person.
If billionaires can't find space at Europa One, there's also xPoint, a compound in South Dakota that's almost the size of Manhattan.
xPoint was originally built by Army engineers.
The compound's location near the Black Hills of South Dakota makes it relatively safe from flooding and nuclear targets, according to Vivos.
xPoint comes with its own electrical and water systems, so residents can survive for at least a year without having to go outside.
The entire compound consists of 575 bunkers, each with enough space for 10 to 24 people.
Each bunker is around 2,200 square feet.
The bunkers start at $35,000, but residents will also have to pay $1,000 in annual rent. That'll likely require some savings when it's unsafe to go outdoors.
The company has yet another shelter in Indiana, which can house just 80 people.
The Vivos website likens the shelter to "a very comfortable 4-Star hotel."
Source: Vivos
The communal living room has 12-foot-high ceilings.
Residents aren't expected to bring anything other than clothing and medication.
Vivos provides the rest, including laundry facilities, food, toiletries, and linens.
There's even exercise equipment and pet kennels.
The shelter is co-owned by its members, which makes it slightly more affordable than the company's other models.
Vivos claims on its website that the shelter is safe from tsunamis, earthquakes, and nuclear attacks.
In a statement, the company said interest in its shelters has "skyrocketed over the past few years." The website says that "few" spaces remain across its network of bunkers.
Source: Vivos
Vivos members aren't all elite one-percenters, the company said, "but rather well-educated, average people with a keen awareness of the current global events."
The Survival Condo Project, on the other hand, caters exclusively to the superrich.
Read more: This 15-story underground doomsday shelter for the 1% has luxury homes, guns, and armored trucks
The company's 15-story facility, fashioned from a retired missile silo, cost $20 million to build.
In an interview with the New Yorker, the company's CEO, Larry Hall, said his facility represented "true relaxation for the ultra-wealthy."
Source: The New Yorker