We’ve long covered the strange antics of some of the world’s biggest billionaires — from Jeff Bezos to Elon Musk to Mark Zuckerberg — we make it our business to know theirs. Now, in a world that many consider to be on the brink of environmental collapse, we’ve never felt like we’ve more of a right to know what they’re up to…

Now, in a dystopic but perhaps unsurprising turn, the ultra-wealthy are investing in fortified shelters like never before. Mark Zuckerberg’s purchase of a 5,000-square-foot bunker beneath his Kauai ranch has set off something of a buying frenzy, with the global elite seeking refuge from future threats like armed conflict, cyberattacks, and climate change.

As international conflicts and natural disasters rage on, billionaires are now looking toward self-preservation—by investing in multi-million dollar bunkers complete with water cannons and a moat that sets on fire in case of intruders. pic.twitter.com/tZMKoAWcA0

— VICE News (@VICENews) February 20, 2024

Companies like Atlas Survival Shelters and Vivos are at the forefront of this phenomenon, creating hidden havens that offer more than just safety. Ron Hubbard, CEO of Atlas, describes a surge in demand, with clients seeking shelters that can withstand full-blown nuclear blasts and power grid failures. Vivos founder Robert Vicino similarly observes that the pandemic has driven interest in their so-called “peace-of-mind solutions”.

But it’s far worse than just bunkers: Al Corbi, president of SAFE (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), is overseeing the creation of custom designs for the uber-rich that go far beyond traditional shelters. His most ambitious project to date is an island fortress with a 30-foot-deep lake surrounded by a flammable liquid moat, water cannons for aerial threats, and a whole lot more, set to be completed in 2025.

The market for ‘luxury bunkers’ is rapidly expanding, with prices ranging anywhere from US$200,000 to over US$10 million. Equipped with air filtration systems, medical facilities, and even high-octane entertainment options — including underground shooting ranges and water parks — the message here is clear: when it comes to security, no expense is spared… for the rich and famous.

Bezos’ Brand New ‘Billionaire Bunker’

Last year, we reported on Jeff Bezos dropping a cool $100 million AUD (~ $68 million USD) on arguably his flashiest home yet; could this be another billionaire bunker in the making?

Boasting a net worth of $163 billion USD, Bezos has splashed out on a lavish mansion on Indian Creek Island, nestled within Florida’s so-called “Billionaire Bunker”, as reported by The New York Post. The purchase comes just a month after Bezos proposed to his new partner, Lauren Sanchez, aboard his aforementioned megayacht, complete with a dazzling diamond engagement ring and star-studded party.

The new property was purchased in an off-market deal this June. The 9,259-square-foot mansion is seated on a 2.8-acre expanse within an island that boasts its own municipality, mayor, and police force as well as 40 waterfront properties, an 18-hole golf course, and Brazilian teak docks accommodating luxury vessels. Other residents of the island include Tom Brady, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner.

Built in 1965 and previously owned by Tulia Soucy de Gonzalez Gorrondona — a former hotelier and manager at MTM Star International Corp — the mansion was worth a comparatively paltry $1.4 million at the time of its last sale in 1982, but has since skyrocketed in value to a staggering $68 million USD. Bezos’ penchant for high-value properties is nothing new: he already has a Beverly Hills estate, the largest home in Washington, D.C., a sprawling Hawaiian villa and a 30,000-acre ranch in Texas to his name.

And yet, there’s something uniquely dystopic about this purchase that we can’t quite put our finger on… perhaps it’s the manmade island upon which all of this opulence sits — separating the billionaires from us mere mortals by a physical expanse of water — or the sprawling golf course around which all the properties sit, adding an almost satirically on-the-nose representation of laid-back life of luxury that these people live.