How the world’s billionaire elite are preparing for Armageddon in five-star nuclear bunkers with swimming pools, spas, wine cellars and cinemas
They cost hundreds of thousands of pounds... and can withstand earthquakes and nuclear warfare
WHEN you picture a Doomsday bunker, you probably imagine a concrete room filled with cold tins of baked beans and uncomfortable makeshift beds.
But 21st century billionaires are preparing to batten down the hatches in very different conditions to those endured by their ancestors in London's World War II bomb shelters.
The world's filthy rich residents are preparing for nuclear warfare, a disease pandemic, zombie apocalypses and natural disasters by investing in five star luxury bunkers.
"Your father or grandfather's bunker was not very comfortable," Robert Vicino, the CEO of high-end shelter company Vivos, told CNN.
"They were grey. They were metal, like a ship or something military. And the truth is mankind cannot survive long-term in such a Spartan, bleak environment."
It may seem like an over-the-top purchase designed for the super-paranoid - but sports stars, hedge fund managers and even tech gurus including Bill Gates are rumoured to have invested in bunkers.
Gary Lynch, the general manager of Texas' Rising S Company, says sales for their high-end underground shelters grew 700 per cent in 2016, compared to the year before.
While overall sales grew 300 per cent after the November presidential election, which saw Donald Trump taking control of the White House.
The company's Doomsday bunkers are steel-plated, large enough to hold a year's worth of food per resident, and strong enough to withstand earthquakes.
But while some want to bunker down alone with their loved ones, other companies have cashed in on our desire to be in a community - and feel closer to the real world, even in the face of disaster.
Missile silos and military bunkers have been transformed into condos and underground villages - complete with cinemas, swimming pools and leisure areas.
Vivos Xpoint, in South Dakota, is made up of 575 military bunkers - and is being developed to accommodate 5,000 people.
The bomb-proof holiday homes cost between £20,000 and £160,000, while the underground village will include a cinema, classroom, gardens, doctor's surgery, spa and gym.
The company also offer a "modern day Noah's Ark", in a former Cold War-era munitions storage facility in Germany, which includes 34 properties sized between 2,500 and 5,000 square feet.
This particular shelter will include a tram network to transport residents to the bunker's restaurants, coffee shops, pool, cinema and game rooms.
"We have all the comforts of home, but also the comforts that you expect when you leave your home," Robert added.
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