A Texas company that builds high-tech underground shelters is seeing strong demand as international tensions escalate, with clients seeking both protection and comfort.
Ron Hubbard, president of Atlas Survival Shelters, said the bunkers are primarily designed to endure the consequences of major events rather than direct impacts.
“Most of the shelters I do are usually for riding out the aftermath after a nuclear bomb goes off,” Hubbard explained, Audacy reported. “They wouldn’t withstand a direct nuclear blast, but they are made to ride out the aftermath.”
Business has picked up notably after recent conflicts. Hubbard reported a significant increase in interest from the Middle East, especially the United Arab Emirates, following U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran that began on February 28. He observed that geopolitical events routinely boost inquiries.
“When a war breaks out, or when America bombs Iran, it does cause a spike in our business,” he told Business Insider in July.
Many buyers are integrating the shelters into their homes as multifunctional spaces using concealed entrances.
“They use it for extra bedrooms, watching TV, or basically as a man cave,” Hubbard, per BI. “The larger bunkers, the ones that cost millions of dollars, have gun ranges, movie theaters with 120-inch screens, and pool tables. During peacetime, it’s the game room. But if something bad ever happened — be it a tornado or a conflict — they can stay in the bunker and not worry.”
The company expanded by opening an office in Dubai. Hubbard noted receiving “dozens and dozens of calls from Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.”
High-profile clients include the Tate brothers, for whom Atlas is building a shelter in Romania. The company has also installed units for members of the Trump administration, often as safe rooms in new estates.
Wealthy tech figures have pursued similar preparations. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has an underground structure at his Hawaii property described as a storm shelter. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman mentioned having reinforced basements. Peter Thiel tried to develop a compound in New Zealand, potentially including bunker features, BI reported.
Affordable options exist, too. A basic 8-by-12-foot backyard bunker costs around $25,000 and accommodates four people.
“It’s not much more than buying a tornado shelter,” Hubbard said, according to Audacy. “It sleeps four people. It’s more like surviving in a tent compared to the luxury models, but it works.”
Hubbard attributes the trend to a perception of greater global risk.
“I do believe that the world is a much more dangerous place,” he said. “People see how everyone is turning their bunkers into a fun game room or extra bedrooms, and they think, ‘I’ve always wanted a bunker since I was a little kid.’ We make it seem practical, affordable, and like money well spent.”
