Daily Management Review

Are millionaires preparing for an apocalypse?


06/21/2017


It is believed that the territory in the central United States, namely, states such as Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, is perfectly suited for survival in severe post-apocalypse conditions, as the climate there is mild and conducive to agriculture. In addition, the oceans (which can cause large-scale floods in case of melting of poles) are located far enough.



emilydickinsonridesabmx via flickr
emilydickinsonridesabmx via flickr
According to Forbes there are already several fortified bomb shelters built by the American rich in these states.

Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and a well-known investor, told The New Yorker in January this year that he believes that more than 50% of Silicon Valley billionaires had acquired a kind of "apocalypse insurance", such as an underground bunker.

According to Forbes journalist Jim Dobson, many billionaires have private planes "ready to fly to the shelter at any moment", and there are cars, motorcycles, weapons and autonomous power generators in the bunkers.

However, none of the billionaires, named by Forbes, publicly admitted that they purchased vast lands in the central states to prepare for the apocalypse.

John Malone, who made his fortune in the field of cable and communications technology, is the largest private landowner in the United States. His territory, located in six states, exceeds 2.2 million acres (about 9 thousand square kilometers) - twice the area of the state of Delaware, or 151 times more than the island of Manhattan. In 2011, Malone told Forbes that buying land was a common investment. He added that he likes to fish in his possessions, and sometimes he hunts birds.

Media mogul Ted Turner owns 2 million acres (about 8,000 sq km) in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico and South Dakota. Among the other famous owners of large areas of land are Head of Amazon Jeff Bezos, co-founder of the American Football League (MLS) Philip Anschutz, as well as Stanley Kroenke, an owner of a large sports and entertainment holding company and one of the major shareholders of the English football club Arsenal.

One of the most unusual owners of large territories is David Hall, a Mormon engineer who is buying farmland in Vermont. He wants to create "sustainable communities with a high population density", which will live according to the writings of the religious figure Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon movement.

Real estate companies do not miss the chance and are building increasingly more underground shelters of premium class costing from $ 3 million.

These houses, often built on former military bases or missile launchers, are equipped with special security functions, such as doors protected against nuclear explosions, armored cars and food and water storage.

Just off Dallas (Texas), 400 underground apartment buildings (designed for 1600 residents) are under construction, the cost of which starts from $ 300 million. The creators call the Trident Lakes project "a five-star resort in full combat readiness": the territory of 700 acres (about 3 sq. km) will consist not only of residential accommodation , but also of a golf course, spa, swimming pools, jogging tracks, equestrian center, shops and restaurants. According to The Houston Chronicle, the settlement can begin as early as 2018.

At the same time, these houses are unlikely to appear on free sale. The developer is sending out personal invitations, and the rest have to fill in a special form on the site, answering questions about age, education, criminal record and even behavior "in extreme situations."

source: forbes.com