Billionaires prepare for doomsday with massive bunker construction
Billionaires are massively building bunkers and shelters (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
World billionaires are preparing for the unknown future: building shelters, fortifying homes, and investing in survival technologies. What has led them to believe that the end of the world is near? The BBC reveals that.
Among the wealthiest people in the world, anxiety about a potential apocalypse is growing. According to media reports, Mark Zuckerberg began constructing the large-scale Koolau complex in Hawaii back in 2014. This project, spanning over 1,400 acres, includes autonomous shelters with independent power supply and food reserves. Workers at the site are forbidden from disclosing construction details. Although the Facebook founder himself denied building a bunker, his properties in California and underground facilities have sparked speculation: neighbors claim that it is not just a basement but a full-fledged shelter.
Billionaires are creating an apocalypse insurance
This trend is not limited to one individual. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman once admitted that roughly half of the ultra-wealthy are preparing their own apocalypse insurance by buying real estate in New Zealand or setting up underground bunkers. Among them are tech company executives, concerned not only about climate threats but also the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI). It is believed that the fear of a future where technology could spiral out of control is one of the reasons for building such shelters.
Fears about artificial intelligence
Employees and founders of OpenAI, DeepMind, and Anthropic have publicly discussed the possibility of artificial general intelligence (AGI) capable of surpassing human intelligence. One of OpenAI’s leading researchers, Ilya Sutskever, suggested that scientists should consider building an underground shelter before such technology becomes accessible to the world. Many AI developers admit that they are unsure whether they will be able to control the next generation of machines.
Skeptics and pessimists
However, not everyone shares these fears. Scientists from Cambridge and Southampton argue that discussions about superintelligent machines are exaggerated. According to them, modern AI models can analyze massive amounts of data but do not possess consciousness or emotions. Nevertheless, this very uncertainty - where technology is becoming increasingly intelligent while humans lose confidence in the future - is driving billionaires to seek underground shelters.
North Korea’s leadership has announced plans to strengthen the country’s nuclear potential, emphasizing that creating a reliable shield and sword is a strategic priority for the DPRK’s security and defense.
Additionally, South Korean intelligence services have reported data indicating a possible supply of a nuclear reactor from Russia to North Korea for use in nuclear submarines.
