Bunker Business Booming Because Billionaires Bet on Bleakness
If they are right, what is their prize?
Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash
A curious thing is happening while the world slowly starts to burn. Many of those at the top of the economic and power food chain are starting to realize how bad things are getting, and they're investing millions of dollars it's finding places to ride out the apocalypse.
Yes, you're right, it's a stupid idea.
These people know they can't take civilization or society with them, right? I can't imagine all of them want to just wall themselves off in a nice prison for decades and decades until they die of natural causes, but that's exactly what these investments will accomplish.
You may say if you're a billionaire, what's a couple of millions or tens of millions as an insurance policy in case everything goes to hell? Yeah, I hear you, but where are you going to get your food, and your water and people telling you how great you are? That's not going to exist in that world. You're not going to be able to fly anywhere in the world on your private jet, jump the line to the best restaurants in the world, or have a prime spot on the Davos stage. That's all going to be gone.
An apocalypse bunker isn’t an investment, it's just poor planning.
Better planning is doing something about … oh I don't know … not destroying the planet.
But these bunkers are stylish!
Many of the billionaires, and slightly less than billionaires buying these bunkers are convincing themselves that they can still live an opulent life even if they're underground for decades. For example, this story from a few years back, titled Billionaire Bunkers: how the 1% are Preparing for the Apocalypse, can be found on the CNN style page. They are not focusing on arguably the most important issue of a society where building a bunker is seen as preferable to solving the problem. No, they are writing a story about the lifestyles of the rich and famous; bunker addition,
I don't know about you, but living in the same set of rooms, even really nice rooms for a couple of decades doesn't beat living in really nice rooms that I can leave and come back to whenever I want.
Do the people building these bunkers, realize that they can help stop climate change and other environmental collapses already underway and still be fabulously wealthy and fabulously comfortable? Did no one point that out to them?
Let’s take a look at what a luxury bunker gets you.
Before we start the bunker shopping, I want to shout out to the folks from survivalcondo.com. I’ve seen their bunkers mentioned in a few different stories. If you go to the survivalcondo.com website, they will tell you all about the wonderful news organizations that have covered them under the “as seen on” tab. ABC News, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, the Guardian, the BBC, The New Yorker, 60 Minutes and Fox News have all done stories that featured survivalcondo.com. I guess all publicity is good publicity.
Let’s start shopping:
Let’s start with the half-floor unit. It will only cost you $1.5 million. It's about 900 square feet. It has one or two-bath bedrooms a bathroom, a kitchen a Great Room, and a big-screen TV. One of the highlighted features of the half-floor option is an outdoor simulated view window in each unit. The window simulates lifelike outdoor views and is complete with varying light levels that mimic the time of day. Yeah, that's going to keep you sane.
The full-floor unit is going to run you about $3 million. It's about 1,820 square feet, which can accommodate 6 to 10 people. It has three bedrooms 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a Great Room and of course the big screen TV. No one realizes there's going to be no satellite television or programming of any sort in this world where all the bunkers have big TVs. They better have saved the DVD player and a lot of DVDs. This unit comes with a simulated view as well, but also has stairs and an elevator. Don’t sign on that dotted line yet. Hold out for the Penthouse.
The Penthouse is priced at $4.5 million, is about 3,600 square feet over 2 levels, and can be customized to your needs, as long as those needs don't require going outside … ever.
Do the people paying for these bunkers not realize that what they're making is just a fancy prison cell? And yeah, if you've got 3600 square feet you can have some of your family in there with you. But do you want to be in the 3600 square foot space with anyone for five years, 10 years 20 years straight? It's not like you're going to spend the weekend there and then fly to Ibiza, for fashion shows in Paris, or even see a sunset on a Hawaiian Beach.
If all of these bunkers are a bit out of your price range, don’t worry. USA Bunker Company sells underground fallout shelters starting at $21K. I’m sure a bunker you can buy for $21K is of high quality and will see you through the apocalypse just fine.
That these bunkers are seen as an option is a failure already.
Bunker builders, I've got a little news for you. When there is no rule of law, and no society that sees you as the powerful people you are today, and your billions in the bank have no use, the people in charge will be those with the biggest muscles and the biggest guns. The people you're paying now to protect you will become your new masters.
The thing you're going to lose when the world breaks down, society ends and you're spending decades in a prison of your own making, is status. Whether you are in a silo in Kansas, an impenetrable compound in Hawaii, or an underground lair in New Zealand, there will be no one else around to be better than.
There is no point in being king of the hill if there is no one to play with.
When you're sitting in a small room six stories underground riding out the apocalypse; if you can convince those not bigger and better armed than you to not kill you, you'll be left with the realization that no one cares who you are.
What makes you worth something, is society. When that is gone, you are worth the same as everyone else. Nothing.
When you emerge from that bunker decades later what do you expect to see? If you can survive, your prize will likely be a hellscape that you won't want to live in. Why are you investing all that money, all that effort to be the last man standing in hell?
That is not a prize. That is a curse.
Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven I suppose.
But I will offer you an alternative.
Better to serve in heaven.
The collective wealth, power, and action of those who have the means to build all these bunkers can save our oceans, save our land, save our air. If all the people building these bunkers invest in society instead and make it their mission to save us all from the environmental disasters that await us, they will be seen as heroes. All it will take is giving away some of the power and money they have accumulated thus far.
Invest in the society that makes you valuable, not the bunker that makes you worthless.
They are pouring into NZ:
Added below, thx.
https://kevinhester.live/2020/01/13/a-tsunami-of-climate-change-refugees-heading-to-aotearoa-new-zealand/
The insanity of this is breathtaking! I don't think they will last in any of these for more than six months. The 'cave lords' should have a suicide service handy.