When you have mind-boggling amounts of money and investments, there are only so many things that you can buy. Sure, you might get a yacht or a private plane, but at some point, the attention of the ultra-wealthy might turn to surviving the apocalypse.
A bunker builder who works for billionaires all over the world, u/Neat-Text4040, recently invited the internet to ask them anything about their job. People were incredibly curious to learn more about their profession, and we’ve collected some of the most intriguing questions and answers to share with you. Keep scrolling to see the discussion.
Meanwhile, Bored Panda reached out to the author of the viral thread, u/Neat-Text4040 (aka @Waxwingfirefountain), and they were kind enough to answer a few questions of our own. You’ll find our interview with them below!
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The billionaire bunker builder told us that they didn’t expect their AMA thread to get much interest, as the topic was quite niche. However, it has “attracted so much interest, and I’ve honestly learned things from the amazing Redditors I spoke with,” u/Neat-Text4040 told Bored Panda.
“I did the AMA because I thought people would enjoy reading about it. I think perhaps it resonated with people because we live in uncertain times (conflicts and pandemic contributed to this) and times of great inequality, so preparedness plans for the super rich are pretty interesting right now,” they said, sharing the inspiration behind the thread.
We were curious about the advice they’d give anyone who is considering a career in building bunkers. Here’s what they told us: “For people thinking about building bunkers, remember that every client is different and no two people will ever have the same requirements,” u/Neat-Text4040 said.
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“The biggest challenge is definitely managing confidentiality while also complying with local building codes. Always comply with the law, and feed this into your planning at the start. And confidentiality is really important, so again, factor this in at the start,” they explained.
“Building bunkers isn’t actually the main way the super rich prepare for disaster. There are other preparedness plans they request and this is usually my main focus,” u/Neat-Text4040 told Bored Panda.
Meanwhile, for anyone interested in learning more, u/Neat-Text4040 has set up an Instagram page (@Waxwingfirefountain), where they plan on sharing more information on the topic.
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‘Robb Report’ points out that bunkers “have gone glam” and are no longer the sole domain of survivalists or conspiracy theorists.
“Today’s ultra-secure sanctuaries are being built not just beneath remote ranches or desert compounds, but under some of the world’s most elite estates. And these hideaways are no longer concrete boxes filled with canned food—they’re luxury retreats stocked with five-star amenities.”
According to Chad Carroll of The Chad Carroll Group at Compass, clients are “thinking more critically about safety and long-term preparedness.”
He states: “This isn’t limited to stereotypical ‘doomsday preppers’—we’re talking about business executives, celebrities, and global investors who want peace of mind in any situation.”
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Meanwhile, Naomi Corbi from SAFE (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), which specializes in ultra-secure residential design, notes that current geopolitical crises have made clients act accordingly.
“For those with deep insight and access to elite-level intelligence, the existential implications are undeniable,” she says.
“What were once rudimentary shelters have become bespoke sanctuaries. Today’s clients want features that mirror their lifestyles—often with highly individual touches.”
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Some of the world’s most powerful, wealthy, and influential individuals are, reportedly, either building bunkers or shelters, or have already had them built a while ago.
For example, the BBC reports that tech tycoon and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is said to have started work on Koolau Ranch, his 1,400-acre compound on the island of Kauai, in Hawaii, way back in 2014.
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As per the BBC, based on reporting by Wired magazine, Zuckerberg’s compound may include a shelter with its own energy and food supplies.
When asked if he was creating a doomsday bunker, Zuckerberg denied it and said that the 5,000-square-foot underground space is “just like a little shelter, it’s like a basement.”
Naturally, with an answer like that, people start speculating.
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Furthermore, Meta CEO Zuckerberg has also decided to buy 11 properties in the Crescent Park neighborhood in Palo Alto, California, totaling around $110 million. He has, allegedly, added a 7,000-square-foot underground space beneath his investments.
The BBC states that, as per the New York Times, some of his neighbors call this space a bunker or a billionaire bat cave.
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There’s a lot of speculation that business leaders and key people in the tech industry may have ‘doom prepped’ as well.
For instance, the co-founder of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman, has mentioned ‘apocalypse insurance’ which, supposedly, around half of super-wealthy people have.
Meanwhile, New Zealand is allegedly a popular destination for these individuals to buy or build homes.
The head of OpenAI, Sam Altman, has once speculated about joining entrepreneur Peter Thiel at a remote property in the country, if a global disaster were to occur.
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Some of the biggest names in tech are worried that the potential development of artificial general intelligence (AGI, the point where machines match human intelligence) may lead to a global disaster.
As reported by journalist Karen Hao, Ilya Sutskever, one of the co-founders of OpenAI and the chief scientist there, has previously suggested that they should dig a shelter for the company’s top scientists before releasing AGI to the world.
“We’re definitely going to build a bunker before we release AGI,” he has reportedly said.
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According to the author of the captivating thread u/Neat-Text4040, they have been building and doing work related to bunkers for the wealthy ever since 2020.
They have clients all over the world, and with that in mind, they obviously can’t give away any specific identities or locations. Secrecy and confidentiality are the bread and butter of this job, after all.
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We’d like to hear your perspectives, too, dear Pandas. Which parts of the online discussion piqued your interest the most? What do you think about billionaires building bunkers in the first place?
Do you think that you’d want to have a bunker “just in case” if you had the spare money for it? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments at the bottom of this list.
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