If you want to know what's going on with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's massive Koolau Ranch compound on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, there's no use asking anyone involved in its construction — they're all bound by strict nondisclosure agreements.
According to an anonymous former contract employee who was willing to risk life and limb — not really (?!?) — to talk to Wired, "It’s fight club. We don’t talk about fight club." More ominously, he added, “Anything posted from here, they get wind of it right away.”
And you thought Zuckerberg just had algos scanning your Instagram feed for wrongthink.
Sources differ on the size and expense of Zuckerberg's compound. In its exposé last week, Wired claimed it spans 1,400 acres. Still, The Guardian reported two years ago that Zuckerberg had just spent $17 million adding another 110 acres to his property that already covered 1,500 acres. Even before then, "Zuckerberg angered neighbors" by building "a 6ft stone wall around his property that blocked easy access to Pila’a Beach."
The wall was meant to reduce road noise intruding on Zuck's Zen space, but it's also a perfect metaphor for the silence surrounding the construction site. In addition to the Beyond the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous home, under construction is a 5,000-square-foot underground lair featuring its "own energy and food supplies, and, when coupled with land purchase prices, will cost in excess of $270 million," according to Wired. The real estate alone accounts for more than two-thirds of the cost, at a staggering $170 million.
While Wired's report has helped to pull back some of the veil surrounding the project, Hawaiin Twitter/X user Kali Yuga Buddha has been following it for years — and even posting what appears to be drone photos of its construction.
🚨Exclusive: Images unveil a secretive panic room in Zuckerberg's Kauai compound. With not many friends in Hawaii and growing isolation from the community, it seems the billionaire is fortifying his fortress. pic.twitter.com/MXeVNODTm1
— Kali Yuga Buddha (@KaliEpoch) September 9, 2023
According to Kali, Zuck's compound "leaves a mark that's hard to reconcile with nature's blueprint. A bridge over what was once unspoiled river. Clear-cut forests paint a different picture of 'protection.'" His feed is a fascinating read, including tidbits about a smaller-scale "bunker" being built on nearby Maui by none other than Oprah Winfrey.
A Housing.com report claims that Dr. No's new underground facility includes "a mechanical space secured by a robust blast-resistant concrete and steel door."
More from Housing:
Beyond its opulent facade, Koolau Ranch is designed to function as a self-sufficient space, ready to withstand global catastrophes. The compound is envisioned to house a minimum of 30 bedrooms and 30 bathrooms, supplemented by guest houses and a cluster of 11 treehouses interconnected by rope bridges. It is packed with security measures, encompassing keypad locks, soundproofing and concealed doors, while an extensive camera network ensures surveillance.
If you were looking for a place to ride out the apocalypse — nuclear, biological, zombie, angry villagers — this would be the place to do it. $270 million — and counting — is enough to make you wonder if he's correct to worry about all four.
My wife and I are pretty proud of the longterm pantry and other survival items that we've been socking away since even before the COVID lockdown disruptions of 2020. But we've got nothing on Zuck. There's a big difference between what a nice exurban couple can do to prepare for the apocalypse and what we could do with a quarter billion dollars or so.
I'd just like to think we could do it without pissing off half the residents of a small island and swearing the rest to secrecy.
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