A vast network of underground vaults is being carved into the Swiss Alps, offering the ultra-wealthy a secure haven for storing priceless art, gold, vintage Ferraris, and expensive wine, according to the New York Post.
Swiss businessman Thomas Gasser, chairman of the board of Brünig Mega Safe, is behind the project beneath the Brünig Pass near the village of Lungern.
Luxury Bunkers Beneath Solid Rock
Gasser's complex will house approximately 20 private vaults buried beneath over 100 metres of solid rock, designed to deter criminals. Developers claim the security will rival that of the Swiss National Bank.
Each subterranean cave is available for purchase on a 99-year lease, with prices beginning at nearly 1 million Swiss francs, roughly equivalent to £918,600.
Gasser's family-run company has decades of specialised experience in quarrying, underground operations, and heavy excavation work in the Swiss terrain.
Security Measures and Local Reactions
According to Gasser, clients will have to drive through a special checkpoint and undergo several security checks, which will not be disclosed to the public. The location of the bunkers is such a fiercely guarded secret that even reporters were not shown the future entrance to the complex.
The project has drawn mixed reactions from residents of the village of Lungern. One resident questioned why their small mountain town needs luxury bunkers built for billionaires, pointing out that “they’re building something for people who already have enough money”. Others were more sardonic, stating they looked forward to seeing Ferraris belonging to their new bunker “neighbours” racing along the windy Alpine roads.
Switzerland's Underground Storage Tradition
Switzerland has a history of storing valuables deep beneath its mountains. Over the years, a number of former military bunkers have been repurposed as fortified storage facilities and highly secure data centres. This project in Lungern takes that concept further, aiming to attract wealthy clients from around the globe looking for a protected place to stash their most valuable assets during global turmoil.
Notable doomsday preppers include Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has a fortified Hawaiian compound with an underground shelter, private food and water supplies, and an escape hatch. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed in a 2016 interview with The New Yorker that he had an arrangement with PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel to head to Thiel's rural property on New Zealand's South Island in the event of a major global catastrophe.
