US firm building $300mn AI-equipped doomsday bunker (PHOTOS)

Booking a place in the lavish shelter, limited to just 625 spots, reportedly costs $20 million

A luxurious members-only ‘doomsday’ bunker with AI-powered medical suites and indoor pools is being developed in the US. Set to open next year, the multimillion-dollar project is designed to shelter the world’s super-rich in the event of an apocalyptic disaster.

The US-based company SAFE (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), which specializes in secure property designs, unveiled plans to build the $300 million fortress in Virginia, just outside Washington, earlier this month.

The project named Aerie is set to open in 2026, and could house 625 wealthy individuals in the event of a global disaster, according to the company.

The underground bunker, featuring robotic medical suites, a lavish indoor swimming pool, a bowling alley, a climbing wall and gourmet dining will offer clients the chance to survive, if they can afford the entry fee – an investment of $20 million per person.

“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,” Al Corbi, SAFE’s founder and president told Forbes last week.

Aerie, which resembles a high-end resort, will offer guests a set of luxury amenities including advanced medical centers where clients can receive treatment for ailments and access lifesaving therapies using AI-powered tools, as well as a variety of “wellness programs.”

According to the director of SAFE’s medical preparedness, Naomi Corbi, at the doomsday residence members will have the privacy to “conduct business” while sealed behind “impenetrable” walls.

For security reasons, everything except the members’ club and its rooftop penthouse is located underground. To create the illusion of being above ground, the bunker features interactive walls, ceilings, and special lighting effects that simulate a setting perched high above the city, despite being very deep underground.

The suites include a hyperbaric chamber for concentrated oxygen, which the company said is beneficial during events with low air quality. Additionally, there’s an ice plunge room aimed at improving blood circulation and mental well-being, as well as an IV therapy room for providing essential nutrients.

As the idea of doomsday shelters gains popularity among the world’s super-rich, SAFE plans to expand and build residential bunkers in 50 US states to prepare for what it describes as the “unthinkable”.