The new project undertaken by the SAFE company (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), based in Virginia, demonstrates that offerings for the clientele representing one percent of the global population know no boundaries, providing even what was hard to imagine just days ago. In 2026, they will unveil the first underground residential “doomsday” bunker, worth 300 million dollars, where the wealthy and powerful can protect themselves in case of natural disasters.
The luxury bunker, named Aerie, offers innovative wellness and longevity features. Residences will cost around 20 million dollars. For security reasons, everything except the members-only club and its rooftop penthouse will be underground. According to SAFE, there will be four membership tiers, with the lowest tier accessible to what they call moderately successful executives.
The highest tier, the so-called asylum membership, will be invitation-only, and as expected, not everyone will be able to receive this invitation. A so-called committee is still deliberating on which wealthy individuals might receive this entry pass.
Lavish amenities will be available across all 50 states
These luxury residential bunkers will be built in all 50 United States (U.S.) states, and the decision to start in Virginia, specifically in the Washington, D.C., area, is strategic, as it is the wealthiest region per capita.
Although the underground residences will feature lavish amenities such as wellness spaces, restaurants, and a medical suite with robotic services, the primary goal of the bunkers is to protect their residents from potential external dangers. The bunkers can also be used in situations unrelated to a potential apocalypse, such as whenever residents feel their safety is threatened.
They are designed with interactive walls, ceilings, and special lighting effects to make the apartments appear as if they are above ground, even though they are located deep underground.
How deep they will be and how many floors they will have depends on the geographical location and the technical feasibility of the soil for construction. Each location will have at least two floors, but most are planned to include more than 20 levels below the surface, with the potential for over 200 apartments.
The completion of each bunker will cost the construction company 300 million dollars, while SAFE will charge the upper class 20 million dollars just to step into this high-tech structure, according to foreign media. These bunkers will be built to withstand explosions as well as disasters like the fires that have ravaged Los Angeles.
If a member or client finds themselves in a city where these bunkers exist, and a disaster occurs – natural catastrophe, civil unrest, terrorist attack, or similar – they won’t go to a hotel but will find safety in their bunker.
Futuristic technology
In addition to a sense of security, the bunkers offer the wealthy enormous living spaces, with individual apartments covering 185.8 square meters and a penthouse spanning 1.858 square meters.
Thanks to futuristic technology, the underground pool and other amenities appear entirely realistic, offering panoramic views. The pool will look as though it is high above the ground, while in reality, it will be located more than 20 stories underground.
The bunkers will also feature intensive care units, known as MediShield, equipped with cutting-edge robotic services for top-notch medical care and emergency assistance. Simply put, they will be equipped with the most advanced AI technology, ensuring effective medical support in situations where conventional care is unavailable.
An ice immersion room will also be available to aid recovery and resilience in underground living conditions. Ice immersion will help reduce stress levels and sharpen mental clarity, providing physical and psychological benefits for life underground.
Wellness facilities will also include a massage room offering AI robotic treatments to alleviate muscle tension and improve circulation. Living underground for extended periods requires mental clarity, and these wellness comforts will help alleviate anxiety, enabling residents to remain physically and mentally strong.
“Imagine a massive solar flare destroying the global network and plunging the world into chaos. Within hours, supply chains collapse, society disintegrates, and civil unrest breaks out. This is not fiction; it’s a probable reality. We are creating apocalyptic sanctuaries and bunkers to prepare for the unimaginable. Every defense is designed to protect your family. The future may be uncertain, but your safety will never be in these protected bunkers,” this is how SAFE envisions the purpose of their five-star underground bunkers.
SAFE’s bunkers operate on geothermal energy, and have sustainable food supplies, their own water reservoirs, and fully equipped medical facilities. Many include amphitheaters, restaurants, and spas; for one client, a promenade was designed with ceilings hand-painted to resemble blue skies and “shops” displaying family ambiance. “These are things you would personally want to have, so it’s currently a prime entertainment zone, but if a disaster occurred, you could go there and stay for a long time,” says SAFE’s founder and president, Al Corbi.
An air filtration system, an EMP Protection Shield (Electromagnetic Pulse Protection Shield) to safeguard electronic devices and systems from electromagnetic pulse effects, and explosion resistance, and a CBRN Protected System (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Protected System) designed to shield people, vehicles, structures, or infrastructure from hazards caused by chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents, as well as bioterrorism protection, are features SAFE lists on its website as part of their high-categorization bunkers, Forbes writes.
