A little over 100 years ago, during the Gilded Age when railroad barons and industrial magnates ran amok through newly developing U.S. cities, there were only a few ways to impress your peers.
You could take a leisurely ride in your shiny black automobile, don the finest silk suits and resplendent handkerchiefs, or throw a Gatsby-style party complete with a champagne tower and oyster bar.
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In 2023, however, there are about a thousand different ways to flex on your fellow billionaire friends.
You could launch your own rocket into space. You could try to peer into places yet to be explored, like remote jungles or virtual online hangouts. You could collect sports cars, fly around on private jets, or land your private helicopter on your private yacht.
Unless you're someone like Jeff Bezos. When his company Blue Origin isn't launching celebrities into space, Bezos can be found on his 127 meter yacht Koru or in his $79 million mansion outside of Miami, Fla.
To someone like Mark Zuckerberg, though, a $79 million mansion might sound like peanuts.
Mark Zuckerberg works on $100 million project
Mark Zuckerberg has mostly been busying himself with the development of the metaverse, the virtual world that Meta (META) -) has lost no less than $46.5 billion on.
But when you're a billionaire, there's always room to play around. Zuckerberg has recently pivoted to building a $100 million compound on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, which will come complete with not one but two mansions on the property.
The property is already partially built; Zuckerberg calls it Koolau Ranch. But when all is said and done, it's estimated that this project could be one of the priciest personal construction projects – at least in modern history.
Here's a breakdown of what the compound is reported to include when all is said and done:
- Two mansions
- At least 30 bedrooms and 30 bathrooms
- "Disk shaped" treehouses interconnected by ropes
- 5,000 square foot underground bunker
- 1,400 acres
- 6 foot wall surrounding the entire property
Of course, one of the most interesting features to this compound is the underground bunker, which is reportedly designed to be self-sufficient and can even grow its own food sources and provide energy for itself. It's said to be blast resistant, complete with a steel door and concrete walls.
Zuckerberg is already bringing in a water tank and pump to the property, which is 55 feet in diameter by 18 feet tall.
One worker said cameras will be "everywhere," and the library will have a secret entrance. And everyone working on the project – regardless of their role – has been required to sign a non disclosure agreement (NDA).
It's not clear when the compound is estimated to be completed, though Zuckerberg reportedly already considers the ranch to be home.
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