Rushkoff, who often writes about the future of technology, said he was invited to a remote resort to talk with five of the world's wealthiest men about the future of the planet. (Rushkoff did not specify who spoke to him at the resort, but said at least two of the men were billionaires.)An image of Douglas Rushkoff, a man who is known for writing about the future of technology, as well as his association with the early cyberpunk culture.
At the event, Rushkoff said he was repeatedly asked about the best ways to survive climate change or societal collapse, as the executives detailed their plans to build underground bunkers and avoid what they called "The Event."A Vivos bunker
"The Event. That was their euphemism for the environmental collapse, social unrest, nuclear explosion, solar storm, unstoppable virus or malicious computer hack that takes everything down," Rushkoff said in his book.Mushroom cloud from a 23-kiloton atomic bomb detonated 90 feet underwater during Operation Crossroads along the Bikini Atoll. This was the second atomic detonation of the operation. The first blast of the operation, which took place on July 1st, was detonated at an altitude of 520 feet.
In a post for The Guardian, Rushkoff highlighted some of the survival companies the ultra-wealthy are employing to build their escape, including Vivos and Rising S Company. (Vivos and Rising S Company declined to provide details to Insider on specific clients or projects they've worked on, citing privacy concerns.)Rising S Company workers installing a shelter
The site includes guard buildings lining the premises for security — an issue Rushkoff said was a major cause for concern for the billionaires he spoke with.
Vivos told Insider its shelters are designed to allow residents to operate for a minimum of one year without having to return to the outside world. It said its customers are not "'the elite 1%,' but rather well-educated, average people with a keen awareness of the current global events."A Vivos shelter
Courtesy of Vivos
The company has said it saw a surge of interest in its shelters at the onset of the pandemic as well as Russia's attack on Ukraine.A Vivos bunk room
Rising S prices start at $40,000. But, its luxury series starts at about $3.78 million, and the company's most expensive shelter costs about $14 million, the company told Insider.Rising S bunker
Courtesy of Rising S
Unlike Vivos, Rising S builds its shelters individually into customers' existing properties.A Rising S bunker
The company said it often customizes its shelters for luxury clients, and has built anything from operating rooms to horse stables, shooting ranges, basketball courts, and crypto mining rooms into its shelters.A medical facility on a Rising S bunker
Courtesy of Rising S
Ultimately, Rushkoff said the idea behind billionaires seeking an escape hatch indicates a larger trend. He pointed to Elon Musk looking to colonize Mars.A Rising S bunker
"It's as if they want to build a car that goes fast enough to escape from its own exhaust," he wrote in The Guardian. "Never before have our society's most powerful players assumed that the primary impact of their own conquests would be to render the world itself unlivable for everyone else."The 14 ft ladder into the bunker
