A $300 million members-only luxury doomsday bunker complete with robotic medical suites, lavish swimming pool, and fine dining restaurants is set to revolutionize how the rich and powerful can shelter themselves in an apocalyptic disaster.
Due to open in the summer of 2026, the high-end underground fortress will provide a 5-star survivalist experience to those lucky few who are willing to fork out $20 million for a single membership, of which there are only 625 available.
The bunker, which has been named “Aerie,” will be part of a network of similar sanctuaries that cater to the 1%, providing them with a unique opportunity to safeguard their futures, no matter what disasters might lie ahead.
It is a far cry from the off-grid homesteads and stark nuclear shelters favored by traditional doomsday preppers—some of whom have earned viral stardom by showcasing the many ways in which they are readying themselves and their families to ride out a potential societal collapse.
But where the more stereotypical preppers have vegetable patches and remote cabins, Aerie offers “AI-powered” medical care, “wellness programs,” and the promise to “blend protection and luxury” in a way that has never been done before.
The bunker is the work of SAFE (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), a Virginia-based company that specializes in secure property designs. The company has previously earned acclaim for creating all manner of unique bunkers, including one outfitted with a Formula 1 track.
However, Aerie transcends anything the company has unveiled in the past, according to SAFE’s founder and president, Al Corbi, who says the underground hideaway will transform the high-end security space.
The bunker will cost the building business a whopping $300 million to complete, with Safe charging the upper class an eye-watering $20 million to even step foot inside the high-tech structure.
Al and SAFE’s director of medical preparedness, Naomi Corbi, exclusively reveals to Realtor.com® that they will be offering four tiers of memberships, noting that the cheapest can be afforded by a “moderately successful CEO,” while a secretive top tier known as the “Asylum Membership” will be by invite only, with the security moguls admitting that the “board” is still deciding who will be lucky enough to get the bid for the most lavish entrance to the protection center.
SAFE plans to build the luxe underground pads in each of the 5o U.S. states but has opted to build the first in Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC, where President-elect Donald Trump will take office for the second time on Jan. 20, 2025.
The decision to base the first Aerie bunker in Virginia was, according to Al, purely “strategic,” and was not in any way motivated by the changing political landscape, but rather a desire to offer those who are able to afford membership a convenient place in which to do so.
Speaking about the decision to put the very first Aerie in DC, Al insisted: “It’s coincidental, but it’s the wealthiest state per capita. It’s ground zero for the finest demographic for something like this in the world.”
Although the underground abode will be decked out with a number of lavish amenities such as wellness areas, gourmet dining, and a medical suite with robots for doctors, the bunker’s primary goal is to keep its residents safe from harm—even those who are wealthy enough to secure one of the protection center’s upper-level penthouse suites.
Far from being just place to hunker down during a global crisis, Al notes that the bunker can be used on a more temporary basis, explaining that members can hide away inside it whenever they feel their safety is threatened.
He explains that the setup was actually inspired by one of SAFE’s clients, who shelled out $103 million to install a custom security system at his home, only to then get caught up in a concert massacre. Far from his home, the client had nowhere to turn when the gunfire began.
“Imagine you are one of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world and then something unimaginable happens and you’re a regular guy, you have no place to go in the moment,” Al says. “Going to a hotel isn’t the same as going to a sanctuary that is waiting for you.”
Naomi describes Aerie bunkers as a “home away from home” for their most “famous and infamous clients.”
They reveal that while the bunkers will take several years to open, the first experience center will be available to the rich in 2026 and will allow the wealthy to splash out cash to purchase a shelter.
The safety experts noted that Aerie is a “necessity” for the rich who already “love” the idea, adding that they have memberships capped at 625 and have already had “thousands” of requests from the elite to join.
Speaking about the types of disasters Aerie can offer protection from, Al tells Realtor.com that they envision the problem to be “civil unrest.”
He notes that SAFE’s bunkers could even protect people in case of wildfires such as the devastating California flames that have already killed 27 people, per Cal Fire.
“Wildfires could go over bunkers and everyone would be saved indefinitely,” Al reveals.
The protection pro confesses that although they have designed a slew of protection pads for many A-listers, they are not able to share their names publicly.
Meanwhile, Ron Hubbard, founder and CEO of Atlas Survival Shelters, who has built a slew of lavish bunkers for the wealthiest A-listers such as Kim Kardashian, the Tate brothers, Mr. Beast and more, echoes Al’s thoughts and notes that the lavish protection pads will come in handy when “civil war” occurs.
While speaking to Realtor.com, Hubbard also reveals that he believes below-the-dirt bunkers will be “standard” when building homes in the next two to three years.
While speaking to Forbes, Al and Naomi further detailed the perks that will await the residents inside.
“Aerie’s impenetrable residences include SCIF-compliant (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities) environments for ultimate privacy and security. Each facility features AI-powered medical suites, gourmet dining, and wellness programs, which will blend protection and luxury.”
Naomi explained that the bunker was made with wellness in mind as the rich have become more involved with unlocking the key to the fountain of youth.
“The wealthy are becoming more interested in wellness and longevity offerings as part of their fortified residences. Aerie will utilize advanced AI-integrated medical care, connecting members to specialists around the clock,” she said.
After forking over millions for their posh protection pads, Aerie members are given the opportunity to customize their bunkers with a number of amenities.
For safety purposes, every bunker is underground except for the members’ club and its rooftop penthouse; however, the security-conscious millionaires will still be able to enjoy the sights from below the dirt thanks to interactive walls, ceilings, and special lighting effects that offer residents panoramic views that create the illusion of being perched atop a cliff.
Al added: “The whole reason Aerie came to be is that after building multimillion-dollar sanctuaries for our clients on their estates and superyachts, they still traveled away from their protected homes to locations with a lower level of protection. When something terrible happens, they can use one of the bunkers and facilities in the city they find themselves in.
“Aerie is a multifaceted club where members can conduct business in complete privacy because of its SCIF, airgap, and hardwired environments. The Sentinel system protects its members’ privacy, security, and freedom underground.”
In addition to feeling secure, the bunkers give the rich an enormous amount of space to live in, with individual suites coming in at 2,000 square feet and penthouse pads offering up 20,000 square feet of space.
The penthouse areas are described as “the pinnacle of exclusivity, resilience, and luxury” and blast-resistant walls and ballistic glass.
SAFE builders clearly thought of everything when it comes to combining safety and luxury as residents can head to the grand medical suites when they feel under the weather.
The illness centers, known as MediShield, provide full intensive care, offering life-saving techniques to the elite thanks to its state-of-the-art AI technology, which sees robots doubling as doctors.
SAFE describes the medical areas, “The company’s team of highly specialized medical professionals will deliver the same standards of the White House Medical Unit straight to you. The cutting-edge robotic services provide top-tier medical care and emergency response, regardless of location.”
After getting grade-A treatment from the robots, guests can take a dive into the cold plunge centers, where they can improve their circulation and better their mental health.
When they are all chilled out, residents can head to the IV therapy room, where they can receive nutrients delivered right into their bodies.
The room, which is adorned in blue lighting and cushioned recliner chairs, will offer customized IV treatments that will help to increase immunity and decrease fatigue.
After a long day of wellness treatments, the opulent few can take a dip in the stunning pool, which is 20 stories underground; however, thanks to the futuristic technology, residents will feel like they are staring out at a gorgeous skyline.
Al gushes about Aerie, noting that it would forever change the way bunkers are experienced, adding, “We are creating sanctuaries and doomsday bunkers to prepare for the unthinkable.”
