Tech Moguls Build 'Apocalypse Shelters' in Remote Argentina

A secluded ranch in Patagonia, Argentina, is becoming a haven for a group of tech entrepreneurs preparing for potential global collapse. Spanish-Argentinean businessman Martin Varsavsky, who amassed a fortune from telecommunications, internet, and biotech ventures, has established a compound on his remote property. The site includes prefabricated homes, geodesic domes, and a private airstrip, designed to withstand catastrophic events such as nuclear war, climate disasters, or economic collapse.

Varsavsky believes that a Third World War has already begun, characterizing the conflict as one between Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran on one side, and the rest of the world on the other. "It's just sensible to have a safe place," he told The Financial Times, emphasizing the strategic location of Argentina's southern region, which is far from potential nuclear targets and cloud paths of radioactive fallout, while also being rich in food and energy resources.

This trend extends beyond Varsavsky. The Financial Times reports that other billionaires, including Peter Thiel and Mark Zuckerberg, have acquired properties in remote locations like New Zealand and Hawaii, with Zuckerberg reportedly building a bunker under his ranch. Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, once stated that about half of Silicon Valley's billionaires have some form of "apocalypse insurance."

The increasing interest in Argentina among wealthy Americans and Europeans is partly attributed to the election of libertarian president Javier Milei in 2023. His radical market reforms and focus on technological freedom have appealed to some in Silicon Valley. Varsavsky, along with other investors including tech entrepreneur Alec Oxenford and Daniel Lubetzky, founder of the Kind brand, purchased land in Argentina in late 2023. Their goal is self-sufficiency, with plans for solar power and cattle grazing on the vast property, which also includes mountains.