The Super Rich Are Buying Up Condos in Converted Missile Silos to Flee the Coronavirus

Survival Condo is not the latest in reality TV. In reality, it’s a Cold War–era missile silo that’s been converted into a luxury condo complex that’s ready for an end-of-days scenario. It sounds like something for tinfoil hat–wearing conspiracy theorists, until now.

"The mission is to protect residents from a wide range of threats," says developer Larry Hall, who’s seen a huge surge of interest in the bunkers since the new coronavirus was declared a global pandemic.

COVID-19 cares not about borders, race, gender, or wealth. But for those seeking extreme social distancing, money does help—and those with a lot of it are chartering private jets to isolated vacation homes and yachts, hermetically sealing themselves inside their estates, and buying luxury condos in missile silos like the ones in Kansas.

At Survival Condo, $1.5 million gets you 900 square feet of living space, while $4.5 million upgrades you to 3,600 square feet. Customization—like a Saudi customer’s add-on Mosque—will cost extra. The units are like any high-end condo, but shared amenities—like a movie theater, a shooting range, an aquafarm, a pool with a waterslide, and a waste-processing facility—make the site seem more like an underground city.

Here’s where it gets really doomy: in each unit, "window" displays play video footage to simulate an indoor/outdoor connection, and varying light levels fake the time of day.

As COVID-19 continues to spread—experts say 40-70% of the global population will become infected—severe isolation could be a solution for the upper class. If they all end up underground, we could soon be streaming Survival Condo from the comforts of our homes. 

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