For years, there have been discussions about the world’s billionaires constructing apocalypse-proof bunkers capable of withstanding natural disasters and civil disorder. Recently, Wired magazine published an investigative article detailing the scale and construction of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s 1,400-acre Hawaii compound, Koolau Ranch.
According to a Thursday Wired article, citing sources and planning documents obtained through public records requests, the CEO of Meta is reportedly building a massive compound in Kauai, Hawaii, that will include features like an escape hatch and a 5,000-square-foot underground bunker. The compound will also reportedly be self-sufficient with its food, water, and energy supply.
The estimated cost of the construction of Zuckerberg's compound, Koolau Ranch, is approximately $100 million. When combined with the $170 million paid for the property's land, the entire cost comes to about $270 million. However, Wired notes that this amount is probably still an underestimate.
The compound is set to have at least 30 bedrooms and 30 bathrooms, along with a network of nearly a dozen tree houses connected by rope bridges so guests can move between them "while staying among the treetops," the outlet reported. Two mansions connected by a tunnel to the subterranean bunker have been planned on the property. The bunker will include heavy metal doors packed with concrete and an escape hatch that can be accessed by a ladder. Zuckerberg intends to install "blind doors" in the library that will match the color of the walls, according to Wired.
Zuckerberg is not the first tech billionaire to construct a house fit for the apocalypse. Sam Altman, the now-reinstated CEO of OpenAI, has a hoard of weapons, gold, gas masks, and antibiotics. In order to be ready to "hole up in my house for some amount of time" if necessary, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman also purchased motorcycles, firearms, and ammunition. He even underwent laser eye surgery because he believed it would increase his chances of surviving.
According to Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder, more than half of Silicon Valley's billionaires have purchased "apocalypse insurance," such as an underground bunker, as reported by the New Yorker.