From underground shelters in Hawaii to luxury compounds in California, some of the world’s most powerful tech billionaires appear to be preparing for doomsday. Whether driven by fear of war, climate collapse, or runaway artificial intelligence, their secretive projects are fueling global curiosity — and concern.
Reports suggest Mark Zuckerberg began construction on Koolau Ranch, his 1,400-acre estate on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, as far back as 2014. According to Wired, the compound includes a large underground shelter with its own food and energy supply. Workers were bound by strict non-disclosure agreements, and a six-foot wall was erected to block public view.
When asked last year if he was building a “doomsday bunker,” the Meta founder flatly denied it, calling the underground space “just a basement.” Still, with 11 homes purchased in Palo Alto and another subterranean expansion under construction, locals have taken to calling it “the billionaire’s bat cave.”
‘Apocalypse Insurance’ For The Ultra-Rich
Zuckerberg isn’t alone. Other tech magnates have quietly bought up properties in remote areas, complete with reinforced shelters and renewable energy systems. Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, has described the practice as “apocalypse insurance” — a contingency plan he estimates half of Silicon Valley’s elite possess.
Many have looked to New Zealand, a nation often seen as a safe haven thanks to its isolation, stable government, and abundant farmland.
Behind the trend lies a broader anxiety that technology, the very force these entrepreneurs built their fortunes on, could spiral beyond human control. The growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) has only intensified that fear.
AI’s Power And Peril
Some of AI’s most prominent creators are among those worried. Ilya Sutskever, chief scientist and co-founder of OpenAI, reportedly suggested building a shelter for top researchers before releasing more powerful AI models. According to journalist Karen Hao, he half-joked in a meeting: “We’re definitely going to build a bunker before we release AGI.”
His comments highlight a paradox — that the same minds racing to create artificial general intelligence (AGI), or machines as smart as humans, are also anxious about what such intelligence might unleash.
Tech leaders like Sam Altman of OpenAI and Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind believe AGI could arrive within a decade. Others, such as Dame Wendy Hall, a professor of computer science at the University of Southampton, are more skeptical.
“AI is incredible,” Hall said, “but it’s nowhere near human intelligence. We’re a long way from anything that could replace us.”
Between Utopia And Dystopia
Proponents of advanced AI envision a world of abundance — one where machines eradicate disease, solve climate change, and eliminate poverty. Elon Musk has claimed that AI could usher in an era of “universal high income,” giving everyone access to healthcare, housing, and food through intelligent automation.
But critics warn of darker scenarios: AI used as a weapon, systems turning against humanity, or corporations wielding uncontrollable power. “If it’s smarter than you, we have to be able to switch it off,” said Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web.
Governments are now attempting to regulate the technology. The US briefly required AI firms to share safety test data under an executive order introduced by President Biden, later rolled back by President Trump. In the UK, the government-backed AI Safety Institute continues to study emerging risks.
Tech’s Paradox Of Fear
For some of the wealthy elite, bunkers and remote estates offer a sense of control. But security experts suggest these measures could backfire. One former bodyguard reportedly told a journalist that if a real apocalypse came, “the first thing we’d do is get rid of the boss — and take the bunker.”
Meanwhile, AI researchers like Neil Lawrence of Cambridge University dismiss talk of AGI doom as misplaced hype.
“The notion of Artificial General Intelligence is as absurd as an ‘Artificial General Vehicle’,” he said. “We should focus less on fantasy and more on improving what AI already does.”
For now, the billionaires keep digging — perhaps for safety, or perhaps just for peace of mind. Either way, their bunkers reflect a new truth about Silicon Valley: the people shaping the future may also be the ones most afraid of it.
