How to Throw Money at the Problem
A guide to facing an end-times crisis in luxury
As gauche as it might sound, some of the world’s wealthiest people are preparing for the collapse of civilisation with an almost unimaginable sense of excess. While we’d never endorse abandoning your fellow man for the lure of a gilded bunker, several experts will gladly offer their advice on how to face an end-times crisis in luxury— if you really must
Private islands, luxury doomsday bunkers, survivalist yachts—what’s next?
While the world faces a seemingly unending parade of self-inflicted crises that have upended any sense of global stability in modern times, there will always be a dime to be made from the fear economy. Last August, long before the tragic unfolding of the novel coronavirus that would cost thousands of lives around the world, there were already reminders that those with means will seek shelter in any storm, and preferably one with five stars or more. A CNN report noted at the time that many hedge fund managers, sports stars and tech execs had already designed their own secret shelters to house their families in the event of catastrophe. “Bill Gates is rumored to have bunkers at all his properties,” or so said the most trusted name in news. Who wouldn’t?
It’s a little bit horrifying, but also a little bit fascinating, that former community shelters have been transformed into private bunkers for the ultra-rich, where the privilege of a good night’s sleep—or any night’s sleep for that matter—will cost tens of thousands of dollars. A munitions storage facility in Germany has been transformed into hideouts carved from solid bedrock with options to add one or two floors, while in Kansas an abandoned missile silo offers a US$4.5 million cement condo that’s underground. One only imagines what Robin Leach would have made of that. To that end, our editors have sought out the most outrageous examples of contemporary apocalyptic luxury not merely to inform and frighten (or possibly disgust) you, but also to amuse you with what absurd lengths people will go to attain any sense of comfort amid the chaos, if only they have the money to do so. If things really get bad, think of this like a treatment for an episode of Afterlives of the Rich and Famous.
ISOLATE YOURSELF ON AN ISLAND
Only a medieval monarch would buffer themselves from the chaos of the outside world with a moat of water. Think bigger. Why not acquire your own private island and trade that muddy ditch for sparkling azure waves stretching as far as the eye can see? There’s suddenly a seller’s market for such retreats.
The future isn’t all plain sailing, though, as there’s an entire archipelago of considerations to take onboard (not to mention the ethics and optics of following in some rather villainous footsteps these days) before buying an island. As in all real-estate transactions, location is everything. The tropics might seem to have the best yearround weather, but they’re also especially susceptible to natural disasters, including hurricanes, mosquito-borne diseases and rising seas that threaten to submerge your new investment even before you actually need it. Logistics may be tedious, but proper planning will dictate
whether, come doomsday, your hideout remains a fortress or crumbles in the mêlée.
Chris Krolow, of Private Islands Inc, has an enviable job as CEO of one of the largest marketplaces for islands of all shapes and sizes across the globe—from wild, remote atolls in Palau to fully developed dream homes afloat in the Maldives. Recent listings have included Rangyai Island, a kidney-shaped 44-hectare property off the coast of Thailand, offered for US$160 million; or if you’re not ready to put down roots just yet, a floating Amillarah glass duplex that’s currently somewhere in the Maldives, but can be relocated “anywhere on a body of water”. (The price is listed as “upon request”, but, really, if you have to ask…) Although most of Krolow’s clients are looking for an undisturbed holiday investment, some buyers have their minds on security.
“We get enquiries from people who want to start their own country,” he says. “We have sold some islands that were set up like a bunker: one guy in the Bahamas developed a small island with a bunker and a full hardware store—there were batteries, gas tanks, blankets, canned food and everything you could imagine for Armageddon all set up.”
Even for buyers who do not want to go to such extremes, Krolow advises finding somewhere with natural elevation or looking in places like Belize for undeveloped mangroves, which can be built up into artificial islands.
For a safer, long-term investment, look for freehold purchases, as islands in most of Asia and the South Pacific are leasehold only. Think of the practicalities, too: is there a mainland nearby with access to supplies, fuel and medical care? Is the island fortified for climate change? What would Gilligan do?
Krolow asks: “Are you going to be able to get to the island when there are more hurricanes? Your insurance premiums might be US$30,000 a year for hurricanes.”
Among the most future-proof investments in Krolow’s current roster is the “completely self-sufficient” Victor Island Escape in the Whitsundays, Australia, boasting a four-bedroom villa with solar power and waterharvesting technology just a 15-minute boat ride from the mainland. The tiny Funk Caye in Belize is also a good shout, kitted out with a reverse osmosis unit and rainwater collection system for fresh water on tap, as well as space for a helipad and large dock.
SAIL AWAY ON YOUR SUPERYACHT
Buying a superyacht is no longer the ultimate luxury—as Noah would remind you, it may be the difference between life or death. There are few better ways to escape a threat than setting out to sea, and if you pick the right boat, it won’t even feel like a hardship, unless you’re prone to seasickness or a
fear of pirates, of course. Oddly, most yacht companies don’t advertise the prices of their boats online, but a Towergate Insurance report cited by Forbes magazine in 2015 noted that an average 100-meter superyacht fit for a crew of 50 should cost about US$275 million, salaries, insurance and docking fees not inclusive.
At about half that size, Sanlorenzo’s 500Exp model in its Luxury Explorer Range accommodates up to 12 guests in its 47-metre-long hull—meaning there’s still plenty of room for the whole family. The yacht has a range of 4,500 nautical miles cruising at a speed of 11 knots, so can carry you from New York to the UK with fuel to spare. And in case you need to make a speedy escape, the 500Exp also has a helipad and plenty of storage space for jet skis or tenders. Gym optional.
A smaller but faster option is the Azimut Grande S10. Made partly from carbon fibre, this nearly 29-metre-long superyacht can reach speeds of up to 35 knots, so it can outrace all but the fastest vessels. And with four stylish main cabins and multiple outdoor and indoor lounges in which to relex, the Grande S10 isn’t too shabby a place to plan your next move, so long as you have any friends left to impress.
If fuel is no longer available, then a sailing yacht like the Wally Tango is your best bet. Designed in Monaco, the Tango has been optimised for stability during high winds and can turn as sharply as a racing yacht. It houses six guests in three cabins, has a large galley area and extensive space on the upper deck to soak up the sun—so you might never want to dock again, even if you could.
CALL IN THE EXPERTS
For a long time, society’s perception of a “doomsday prepper” was limited to conspiracy theory-pushing, tinfoil hat-wearing folks. But in recent years, more affluent figures including the likes of CEOS, technology executives and major players in finance are investing in the steadily growing industry known as survivalism. In 2017, a reported half of Silicon Valley’s billionaires were preparing for a possible apocalypse, according to Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of Linkedin. In the words of John W Hoopes, a professor of anthropology at the University of Kansas who dedicated years of his life studying the myth that the world would end in 2012—“fear sells even better than sex”.
When planning for an impending apocalypse, the world’s elite are choosing to leave it to the professionals, hiring the likes of ex-military personnel and survivalist experts to channel their inner Katniss Everdeen and ensure they are stocked up and skilled to take on dystopian doom.
There are various approaches to survivalism; consultants like Practical Preppers, based in South Carolina, emphasise the importance of sustainability, which may not actually be applicable in this scenario, but is an admirable sentiment nonetheless. “As a Prepper I strive towards
self-sufficiency, energy efficiency, alternative energy, conservation and helping others do the same,” says founder Scott Hunt. On the other side of the coin, there are the more militant preppers who consult the likes of Kyle Harth, who served for 14 years in the US Special Forces and for four years as an infantryman, on the necessary equipment and weapons (and how to use them) in the event of an apocalypse.
HUNKER IN A BUNKER
Panic rooms, bunkers and bomb shelters—are they an investment rooted in paranoia or pragmatism? With natural disasters and extreme weather caused by climate change, civil unrest around the world and a return to volatile strongman leaders, a desire to own a bunker no longer seems as loony as the plot of a sci-fi movie.
“Think of it like an insurance policy; no one plans to have a home fire or automobile accident but we purchase insurance for it anyway. The same thought process applies here,” says Gary Lynch, managing director of Rising S, a luxury bunker manufacturer in Texas that has sold shelters all over the world. According to Lynch, clients spend an average of US$2 million building these emergency hideaways.
Aside from essentials like power generators, water and first aid kits, clients and builders are getting creative with new ways to ride out an apocalypse. Luxury bunkers now include hydroponic farms to grow fresh produce (there’s only so much frozen or canned food one can eat), swimming pools, cinemas and soaring ‘windows’ with artificial albeit realistic digital landscape views—you know, for sanity. “We’ve thought of new ways to make people feel more like they’re at home,” says Lynch.
Following the election results in 2016, some members of the American elite—including Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and hedge fund honchos—started buying land in New Zealand and building—in some cases, shipping— survival bunkers to the peaceful and politically stable island nation. In the event of an emergency, they’ll hop on their private jets and retreat to safety. “These threats range from simple storms or home invasions all the way up to civil collapse or nuclear war”, says Lynch.
For those who aren’t keen on a future of total isolation, there are a growing number of shelter compounds— think of them like underground apartment complexes—up for grabs, such as Vivos Europa One in Germany, a by-invitation-only set-up converted from a shelter originally built during the Cold War. These complexes normally have common areas that include offices, classrooms, restaurants, hair salons and even (at least in the case of Vivos Euoropa One) a DNA storage bank.
These shelters might not be used by this generation, and perhaps—if we’re lucky—not even the next. But if it can serve as a place of safety for a future loved one, then these preppers feel that it’s worth every penny. After all, when it comes to preparing for the worst, it’s all about thinking ahead.
From a bamboo campus without walls in the Balinese jungle to an isolated ranch in rural California, schools that bring students closer to nature are inspiring more and more parents to abandon conventional education models
A veil of morning mist hangs lightly over towering palm trees in Abiansemal, about a half-hour drive southwest of Ubud in Bali. A gong sounds—but it doesn’t come from a temple or a wellness retreat. It’s a school bell. Mums in yoga gear and tanned dads with man buns kiss their kids goodbye and watch as they disappear into elaborate bamboo structures that resemble something out of James Cameron’s This is Green School, where living and functioning sustainably isn’t only encouraged, it is the norm, experienced day in and day out by its students. The entire 8-hectare campus is solar and water powered, boasting a food-generating aquaponics facility and even an on-site bird conservation centre which has, over the years, significantly boosted the population of the endangered Bali starling.
Anyone paying attention to world affairs will recognise that the students of today will be grappling with issues of energy, climate and food security for their entire lives—regardless of their field of study or their profession. And recognising their children’s fate, a growing number of parents have abandoned traditional education models in favour of alternative, sustainability-focused schools. It isn’t just the parents who are concerned—in November 2019, hundreds of thousands of students took to their respective cities’ streets, from Manila to Syd
ney to Madrid, demanding the world’s leaders take action on climate change. In fact, a 2018 survey of 11,000 students and parents by The Princeton Review found that 63 per cent said their decision to apply to or attend a college would be influenced by the school’s commitment to the environment.
Where education was once about preparing for an individual’s future, schools like Green School are priming young minds for the future at large, placing a mindset of collective consciousness at the heart of their curriculums. Alongside essential subjects like maths and English, they emphasise problem-solving and “doing”—be it scuba diving with Coralwatch, attending UN climate conferences, or growing and harvesting food. Many of them include a “return to the land” programme that puts students to work as part of their studies. In the US, the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut acquired the 116-hectare Fairfield Farm over a decade ago to give students hands-on experience with sustainable agriculture, producing 30 per cent of the food used in its dining hall. Closer to home in Hong Kong, Malvern College introduced a forest-beach programme to give students the opportunity to learn from, and in, nature.
At the International School of Kuala Lumpur, the first
in Malaysia to achieve a platinum Green Building Index ranking for sustainable design and the World Wide Fund for Nature’s Eco-schools Green Flag award, a rooftop urban farm introduces the concept of permaculture to its students. At Green School, the distinctive Millennium Bridge on campus, built entirely of bamboo across the Ayung River, was constructed by middle school students.
“I believe that it’s important to review and challenge the traditional model of education as our world rapidly evolves beyond what we grew up with,” says Sena Husband who, along with her husband, Paul, lives between Bali and Hong Kong so that their twin children can attend Green School. “Different skills are needed, and the ability to learn with a sense of relevance in this world at a young age is critical. It fosters self-motivation and is empowering to know that they are the future.”
In the realm of higher education, about 65kms from Bishop, California, Deep Springs College is situated on an isolated cattle ranch where students are “expected to dedicate themselves to lives of service to humanity”. Classes at the private liberal arts college are small—the average is eight students. Outside the classroom, they are required to spend 20 hours per week working on the ranch and farm, a requirement that aims to prepare them
to become positive and active citizens of the world.
“Parents are really thoughtful with the way that we raise kids today because we have access to a lot of information and want to make sure we’re giving our kids every opportunity,” says Lindsay Powers, the founding editor of Yahoo Parenting who recently published the book You Can’t F*ck
Up Your Kids. “Millennial parents like myself are also aware of our impact on the environment, and want to minimise it—whether that’s by cutting single-use plastic or a larger lifestyle choice, such as an alternative school.”
Parents who are leading this trend share the same concern—that conventional, rigidly academic models of education aren’t enough to prepare their children for the increasingly complex problems faced by society. Helen E Lees, a specialist in alternative education who received her doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 2011, and author of Education Without Schools, has said there is “something quite worrying about the state of the education system. I’m not sure having 30 children in a classroom all doing the same thing works any more.” On the other hand, some education experts question whether experiential classrooms truly prepare students for the rigours they will face in college, but many institutions intend to test the boundaries of formal learning habits.
Taking experiential, out-of-the-classroom learning even further is Think Global School, an independent high school that travels the world. Its students study in 12 countries over the course of three years, during which time, rather than reading about different countries and cultures in textbooks, they experience them first hand. They have collected water data samples to report on India’s freshwater concerns, and used trigonometry to calculate the height of the Duomo in Florence, Italy.
“It is one thing to learn about nature in the classroom, but to do so in the midst of mud, puddles and undergrowth, it all becomes more real,” says Robin Lister, headmaster of Malvern College in Hong Kong, which recently introduced a nature-driven programme. “The Forest School programme has a philosophy of child-led learning. Close supervision by trained Forest School Educators and school staff is balanced with the need for children to make their own decisions and explore. As pupils learn such skills in a natural setting they gain in self-confidence, build a whole new set of skills and are given the opportunity to learn important life skills like cooperation and collaboration”. In a city like Hong Kong, known for placing intense pressure on exams and academic excellence, the introduction of nature-focused,
student-led learning has been greeted as a radical—albeit necessary—movement.
The intention is to foster future generations of green leaders. Six years ago, 2018 Green School graduate Melati Wijsen and her sister, Isabel, founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags, a youth-led organisation that educates and empowers people to say no to single-use plastic. “We didn’t want to wait until we were older to start making a difference,” says Wijsen, who in January 2020 spoke at the World Economic Forum. The sisters more recently established Youthtopia, which offers short peer-to-peer programmes guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals to inspire young people to take action. Other students have gone on to develop Bio Buses fuelled by used cooking oil—now used by Green School—eco-friendly clothing materials and other innovative solutions.
“We believe that if you love something, you will choose to protect it”, says Husband, who adds: “We chose to expose our kids at this early age to the beauty and wonderful aspects of our natural world, so that they can feel connected to it. This is the education we signed up for. If they can connect authentically to their natural world, we believe that they will want to play an active role in protecting it as they grow older”.