Got plenty of cash? You can hunker in a bunker
Hand sanitizer? Sure. Face masks? Fine. But as the coronavirus spreads, the rich are investing in a much more extreme way to ward off the disease: bunkers.
Inquiries and sales are skyrocketing for bunkers and shelters across the country.
Most come equipped with special air-filtration systems, which buyers believe will come in handy to keep out a virus that can reportedly linger in the air for several hours. And for those fearing a broader societal collapse down the road, a secure safe room with a year’s worth of food can provide peace of mind.
Bunkers are nothing new; tens of thousands of Americans built private fallout shelters as Cold War tensions rose in the early ’60s. Tornado country provides a steady demand for wind-resistant shelters — above or below ground — that typically cost about $3,000 to $11,000.
But in an age ruled by capitalism, manufacturers are pumping out safe spaces with amenities usually reserved for megamansions.
Gary Lynch, general manager of Texas-based Rising S Bunkers, said the phone has been ringing nonstop since mid-March.
“As unpopular as coronavirus is, it’s getting the publicity of a Backstreet Boys hit in the ’90s,” he said.
One of the first people to call in bought a bunker the same day. Soon after, a customer from Japan ordered 1,000 of the company’s custom-made NBC airfiltration systems. At $3,000 a pop, it was a $3 million sale.
Similar to the ones used in hospitals, their standard NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) systems suck in air and remove harmful particles such as bacteria or nuclear fallout dust, providing clean air for up to 15 occupants.
Encased in steel, the bunkers come with a variety of add-ons such as escape tunnels, hidden doors, bullet-proof glass and pepper spray portals. For those with a bit more coin, Lynch and his team will make the bunker feel like a home.
“Movie theaters are common,” he said. “We built one in California that has a shooting range, swimming pool and bowling alley.”
The company has 24 standard options, with the smallest being 8 by 12 feet. Complete with a bunk bed, air filtration system, kitchen counter and toilet, it costs $39,500.
The one with the most amenities is the Aristocrat. Priced at $8.35 million, it has a gym, sauna, swimming pool, hot tub, billiards room, greenhouse and garage.
Lynch said it takes six to eight workers one to two months to build a 10-footby-50-foot unit.
Afraid of getting lonely during the apocalypse? Vivos — which translates to “living” — sells exclusive spots in community shelters in secure locations around the globe.
Its underground shelter in Indiana has room for 80 people with 120 square feet each. For $35,000, it promises one year of autonomous survival with queensized bunk beds, a 30,000gallon fuel tank and food for 12 months.
“It’s cozy,” Vivos CEO Robert Vicino said. “We’re providing people a sense of comfort.”