Armageddon is what will happen when billionaires, or even trillionaires, are given free rein. Could this be the final outcome of late-stage American capitalism and democracy?

Imagine a human-extinction event: a rogue artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, a new world war or runaway climate change. You likely already have a fair idea of where the safest places on earth and beyond are, if you have been following the ultra-wealthy individuals from Silicon Valley and Wall Street.

They are building secretive, disaster-resistant shelters and bunker compounds in a few choice locations. Elon Musk, with his launch pads, has long hoped to take himself and his many children to another planet, colonise it and rebuild human civilisation. This is not fantasy, science fiction or satire.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is building a US$270 million compound on Hawaii’s Kauai island with a 5,000 sq ft underground shelter. Venture capitalist Peter Thiel purchased a 477-acre estate in New Zealand, planning a bunker. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has three properties on Miami’s ultra-exclusive Indian Creek island, colloquially known as the “Billionaire Bunker”. Strict non-disclosure agreements obscure exact numbers, but bunker manufacturers report surging demand from ultra-wealthy clients citing geopolitical and other concerns.