The article from Medium, titled "The Rich Are Hoarding Wealth — Because They Know What's Coming" by Angus Peterson,
argues that the ultra-wealthy are not just accumulating vast fortunes but are actively preparing for an impending societal collapse. It suggests that billionaires are aware of the fragility of the current system, marked by a "polycrisis" of supposed climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, economic instability, and rising authoritarianism, and are taking steps to insulate themselves from the fallout. One of the key examples it implies (though not directly named in the excerpted text) is the trend of building doomsday bunkers, a phenomenon often associated with figures like Mark Zuckerberg.
The piece paints a stark picture: while the general population is urged to adapt to worsening conditions—cut back on consumption, recycle, and endure—the rich are hoarding wealth at an unprecedented scale. This hoarding isn't just about luxury; it's strategic, a hedge against a collapse they see as inevitable. The author asserts that this isn't a distant dystopia but a present reality, with wealth inequality spiralling to levels that could destabilise society within a decade. The ultra-wealthy, it argues, are buying remote islands, stockpiling resources, and constructing fortified retreats, all while their actions—such as exploiting resources and influencing policy—accelerate the very crises they're preparing to escape.
Mark Zuckerberg's case fits this narrative. Reports have surfaced that he's building a $270 million compound in Hawaii, featuring a 5,000-square-foot underground shelter. While Zuckerberg has downplayed it as a mere "basement," the scale and secrecy of the project fuel speculation that it's a bunker designed for worst-case scenarios. This aligns with a broader trend among billionaires: Peter Thiel, for instance, has invested in New Zealand properties as a potential refuge, and others have been linked to similar fortified hideaways. The article suggests these moves reflect a tacit admission that the system—economic, environmental, or social—is teetering on the edge, and the elite know it.
The argument hinges on the idea that collapse is "baked into their business plans." The rich aren't just reacting to instability; they're profiting from it, exacerbating inequality while securing their own survival. Critics might counter that wealth accumulation and bunker-building don't necessarily prove foresight of collapse—some see it as paranoia, tax strategy, or simply the perks of excess capital. Yet the piece insists this is more than coincidence: the polycrisis is real, and the wealthy are positioning themselves as the only ones who'll weather it, leaving the rest to face the consequences of a system they helped destabilise.
In short, the article frames the rich, including figures like Zuckerberg, as both architects and survivors of an inevitable breakdown, hoarding wealth and building bunkers because they see the writing on the wall—a wall they've helped to smash.