Doomsday prepping may seem like a thing of the past, but for wealthy Americans it’s a way to ensure their future. Throughout the country, those who can afford to do so are planning for worst-case scenarios, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Whether considering political instability following the November election or nuclear war, these rich Americans are pouring their money into safehouses and bunkers , or citizenship abroad.
“For wealthy Americans, it is just a question of, are there some steps we can take, God forbid something catastrophic would happen in our country,” Scott Bowman, a partner at a firm that advises families with more than $500 million, told the WSJ . The answer for some lies in luxury bunkers , which are on offer from a number of companies, the newspaper explained. Atlas Survival Shelters, for example, sends its units directly to customers, who shell out for bunkers that can include bulletproof hatches and decontamination rooms alongside granite countertops and oak floors.
The Survival Condo complex in Kansas, meanwhile, is basically a luxury residential building buried 15 stories below ground. There, units sell for millions of dollars, and come with amenities like a cocktail lounge and swimming pool. Ron Hubbard, the CEO of Atlas, told The Wall Street Journal that inquiries rose following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump .
And Larry Hall, the creator of the Survival Condo building, said that interest has jumped ahead of the election this fall. Those with the money to do so are looking for a potentially safer place to turn. The wealthiest though are just building their own compound altogether, like Mark Zuckerberg’s massive Hawaii estate that he’s reportedly constructing atop a survivalist bunker.
For others, though, that means leaving the United States altogether. More and more Americans are turning to citizenship-by-investment programs, the WSJ added. From 2018 to 2023, applications for such programs grew almost sevenfold at the firm Henley & Partners, the company told the newspaper.
This year, it’s headed for another record. Those who may be giving up on the U.S.
—at least temporarily—are most frequently looking at programs in Antigua, Barbuda, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Malta. (It’s worth noting that some countries have tried to end their so-called golden visa programs, despite the increased demand .) Some, though, point out the futility of such endeavors.
Scott Hunt, a consultant for the TV show Doomsday Preppers , put it succinctly when considering the possibility of a world-ending event: “If there’s nothing left, I think you missed the point.”.
