The Rise of the Ultra-Secure Luxury Fortress

The super-rich are no longer content with simple safe rooms in their homes. Today's uber-prime properties are being transformed into 21st-century fortresses, complete with elaborate security features and high-end amenities.

According to Al Corbi, president and founder of SAFE (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), there has been a shift in focus towards entertainment and livability within these secure luxury shelters. "If you're going to be able to survive underground, we want you to be having fun," Corbi explains.

Corbi, who has been at the forefront of secure luxury for 50 years, is currently working on a sprawling house on a 200-acre wooded plot in the US. The house itself is ultra-secure, with blast-proof doors, unbreakable windows, and biometric door-entry systems. But the property takes security to the next level, featuring a 30-foot-deep moat with a swing bridge, water cannons capable of taking out helicopters, drones, or skydivers, and a film of flammable liquid that can be automatically deployed across the surface of an artificial lake and ignited to create a defensive ring of fire.

These luxurious fortresses are no longer just about survival. They are designed to provide a high-end lifestyle, even in the event of a catastrophic event. Amenities can include operating theaters, bowling alleys, and home cinemas, ensuring the owners can remain entertained and comfortable for extended periods.

The super-rich are clearly not taking any chances when it comes to their security. By investing in these fortress-like properties, they are ensuring they have a safe and well-appointed refuge, should the unthinkable happen.

Luxurious Fortresses for the Super-Rich

The super-rich are taking security to new heights, quite literally, by building lavish underground shelters that go far beyond the traditional bunker. According to Al Corbi, president and founder of SAFE (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), the focus has shifted from mere functionality to creating high-end, entertaining living spaces.

"Look at medieval times, a moat is one of the greatest deterrents," said Corbi. "But they didn't have jet skis back then." One of Corbi's clients, a business mogul and avid watersports fan, plans to use his 30-foot-deep moat as a personal race track for him and his wealthy friends.

The motivations behind these ultra-secure luxury fortresses are manifold. The very wealthy have always been prime targets for intruders, kidnappers, and assassins. But now, fears have grown to include "eat the rich" anti-capitalist activists, extreme weather caused by climate change, terrorists, and even unforeseen apocalyptic events.

Corbi, who has also built underground escape tunnels that double as go-kart tracks, emphasizes that his clients have no appetite for utilitarian design. Even 50 years ago, his traditional bunkers were built to resemble high-end hotels, "kind of like the Ritz Carlton, underground." But now, the super-rich demand even more opulence and extravagance.

This spirit of one-upmanship may be partly driving the demand. Reports of Mark Zuckerberg's 5,000 square-foot underground shelter in Hawaii, and Bill Gates' bunkers under all his homes, have seemingly inspired others to follow suit with their own luxurious fortresses.

From operating theaters and bowling alleys to home cinemas, these secure living spaces are designed to provide the ultra-wealthy with not just survival, but a high-end lifestyle, even in the event of a catastrophic event. The super-rich are clearly sparing no expense when it comes to ensuring their safety and comfort.

Fortified Luxury: How the Wealthy Architect Their Secure Sanctuaries

As fears and anxieties among the super-rich continue to grow, their demands for high-end, heavily fortified living spaces are evolving. Graham Harris, a founding partner at SHH Architecture and Interior Design in London, one of the world's leading high net worth design studios, has seen a shift in the way his clients approach security.

"Not long ago, clients tended to build the bathrooms of their primary suites to withstand attacks," Harris explains. "Interior walls would be made of concrete, and secure doors were designed to blend with the home's decor. Better to be able to pop next door at night than try to race down to a far-off basement.

But now, these secure spaces have grown in size and stature. "We've really grown in size and stature," said Harris, who often now secures the whole suite rather than just the bathroom, allowing clients to cocoon themselves with the flick of a bedside switch.

The level of sophistication in these fortified sanctuaries is truly remarkable. Harris recounts working on a house in Highgate, an upmarket area of north London, where "the cinema was actually the safe room with its own separate filtered air supply, secure doors, a kitchenette and a fully stocked area that could sustain a family for over a week.

Another client took this even further, turning his 3,000 square-foot art gallery into a safe room with a separate power supply. To help keep such spaces comfortable, "smart 'skylights' can be installed in the ceiling to mimic the time and outside weather, bathing subterranean interiors in constantly changing 'natural' light.

The super-rich are sparing no expense when it comes to ensuring their safety and comfort, transforming their homes into fortified luxury retreats. From secure suites to specially designed safe rooms, these wealthy individuals are prioritizing their security and self-sufficiency like never before.

Sophisticated Sanctuaries: The Super-Rich Secure Their Homes

The super-rich are taking home security to new heights, incorporating increasingly elaborate and high-tech features to protect themselves and their families. Secret doors, hidden passageways, and other creative concealment tactics have become just as much about showing off to guests as they are about ensuring safety.

Companies like Creative Home Engineering in Arizona specialize in designing and installing these unique security features. One recent project involved building a giant rotating fireplace that swivels to reveal an underground entrance to a shooting range. In another house, an old British phone booth was engineered to turn opaque and open a hidden wall leading to a secure basement complex with a flight simulator and a shark tank.

Al Corbi, president and founder of SAFE (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), has noticed a growing demand for these sophisticated security measures not just from billionaires, but from millionaires as well. While basic room fortification can be achieved for a few thousand dollars, Corbi's clients are increasingly investing hundreds of thousands in prefabricated modular steel bunkers that can be installed beneath new-build homes.

Even for these high-end systems, Corbi explains that the goal is simply to buy time in the event of a break-in. "If someone breaks in at night, they're still going to get in, but they're not going to be able to get into the bedroom, where the family is safe plenty long enough for the police to finish their coffee and donuts.

The pandemic has also heightened the super-rich's concerns about health threats, whether from bioterrorism, viral outbreaks, or even accidents. Corbi's wife Naomi, a registered nurse, now heads up this aspect of SAFE's business, catering to billionaires' growing paranoia about safeguarding their wellbeing.

From hidden passageways to fortified panic rooms, the super-rich are sparing no expense in creating sophisticated sanctuaries that blend cutting-edge security with high-end amenities. These lavish fortresses reflect the lengths the wealthiest individuals will go to protect themselves and their families.

Fortified Luxury: The Super-Rich Prepare for Real-World Emergencies

As the world faces an ever-evolving landscape of potential threats, the ultra-wealthy are taking extraordinary measures to safeguard their well-being. Beyond the traditional focus on protecting against intruders or natural disasters, the super-rich are now prioritizing comprehensive medical preparedness within their fortified sanctuaries.

According to Al Corbi, president and founder of SAFE (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), the pandemic has heightened the concerns of his clients about health-related risks. As a result, Corbi's wife Naomi, a registered nurse, now oversees the creation of some remarkable medical facilities within these luxury bunkers and safe rooms.

"Some of the rooms she has overseen the creation of are as well-equipped as operating theatres at the best hospitals," Corbi explains. These spaces feature decontamination chambers, wardrobes of personal protective equipment, and pharmacies stocked with emergency medicines as well as vitamin compounds tailored to residents to help them withstand long periods in isolation.

Corbi's philosophy is clear: "Forget nuclear bombs, the thing we should be prepping for is real life." He believes that the days of simply throwing a first aid kit into a prefab bunker and claiming safety are long gone. Instead, the super-rich are investing heavily in medical preparedness, recognizing that true security lies in the ability to withstand and recover from a wide range of potential crises.

"If I had a dollar to spend on a bunker or on medical preparedness, I know what I'd do," Corbi says. This shift in priorities reflects the growing awareness among the wealthiest individuals that their safety and survival depend not just on physical fortification, but on comprehensive, high-quality medical care and resilience.

These fortified luxury sanctuaries, with their state-of-the-art medical facilities, represent the cutting edge of how the super-rich are preparing for the uncertainties of the modern world. It's a testament to their determination to safeguard their wellbeing, no matter the challenge.

Conclusion

The super-rich are taking home security and medical preparedness to unprecedented levels, transforming their properties into fortified luxury sanctuaries designed to withstand a wide range of potential threats. From hidden passageways and rotating fireplaces to hospital-grade medical facilities, these individuals are sparing no expense in their quest for safety and self-sufficiency.

Companies like SAFE, led by Al Corbi and his wife Naomi, a registered nurse, are at the forefront of this trend, catering to the growing paranoia and anxieties of the ultra-wealthy. Corbi's philosophy is clear — the focus should be on preparing for real-life emergencies, not just hypothetical disasters.

These lavish fortresses boast features that go far beyond traditional security measures. Decontamination chambers, PPE wardrobes, and specialized pharmacies stocked with tailored medical supplies are now common fixtures, allowing residents to remain self-sustained and protected for extended periods.

The super-rich's willingness to invest heavily in such comprehensive medical preparedness reflects a profound shift in priorities. No longer content with simple safe rooms or basic first aid kits, they are seeking to safeguard their health and wellbeing alongside their physical security.

As the world faces an ever-evolving landscape of potential threats, the creation of these fortified luxury sanctuaries underscores the lengths the wealthiest individuals will go to ensure their survival and comfort, no matter the circumstances. It is a testament to their determination to be as prepared as possible for the uncertainties that lie ahead.