Mind the Gap | The fatuous folly of the super rich and their plans to escape the apocalypse in New Zealand
Running off to their bolt-holes on the far side of the world won’t help them escape the end … they won’t have time to get there
Understanding what inspires or scares billionaires to build post-apocalyptic survival estates and retreats requires comprehension of what worries people at this level of wealth. It is no longer enough to protect their families from the usual security threats against rich people – robbery and kidnapping. Today, security includes end-of-days scenarios, whether or not you believe in the biblical or agnostic apocalypse.
New Zealand has recently been highlighted as a beautiful retreat near the edge of the world, making it almost perfect for living when the world comes to an end.
Private bankers to the ultra-high-net-worth crowd tell me that personal priorities change, especially for the newly wealthy, after about five years of fully indulging the luxury lifestyle. Many seek more purpose and meaning in their lives through philanthropy. Some want to defy mortality by living longer.
And what if you don’t think you are Christian enough to be included in the “Rapture?” For someone with a billion dollars, you can’t afford the risk of being a victim of the vengeful mobs or zombies. Building a safe room in your main residence is a common safety plan, but it isn’t enough nowadays. You need a great escape, in a faraway land, far away from Marx’s description of capitalism’s end game – the persecution of the bourgeoisie.
Surviving and prospering from “The End” has become a cottage industry. As one lawyer told me, “the best clients are the rich and scared.” Finding themes that hype the mythologies of dystopia, especially the end of civil order, is easy in today’s tumultuous information society.
Mainstream media and the internet not only report on, but feed our current cultural anxieties: climate catastrophe, erosion of the traditional political order, a return of nuclear cold war. And don’t forget how social media relentlessly fuels conspiracy theories and annual Nostradamus predictions heralding the end year … year after year. All of them manifest themselves in apocalyptic visions regardless of your religious persuasion. But it’s different if you are a billionaire.
