Did US spend $21 trillion on ‘doomsday’ bunkers to protect the elite?

What if the world ended tomorrow—would the ultra-rich already be tucked away safely in secret bunkers?

A wild new claim by a former Bush administration official suggests they might be.

Catherine Austin Fitts, who served as Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George HW Bush, has alleged that the US government secretly diverted $21 trillion between 1998 and 2015 to construct about 170 underground and undersea bunkers. They are all supposedly interconnected through hidden transit systems powered by undisclosed energy technologies.

Speaking on Tucker Carlson’s podcast, Fitts claimed these hidden facilities were built to protect elites from global catastrophes. While the claim is heavily debated and lacks solid evidence, it has surely reignited public curiosity over how the billionaires are preparing for the worst.

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Here’s what we know.

The mystery of missing trillions

It is not just a random wild theory, Fitts’ said that her claims are based on a 2017 report by economist Mark Skidmore, which flagged massive irregularities in US federal spending—especially within the Departments of Defense and Housing & Urban Development, where Fitts herself once served.

According to Skidmore’s analysis, around $21 trillion in unsupported adjustments were logged between 1998 and 2015. One standout figure showed that the US Army reported $6.5 trillion in unaccounted-for adjustments, despite having an annual budget of just $122 billion. Since these types of adjustments are typically minor, the sheer scale of the numbers raised eyebrows.

Fitts believes this “missing” money was used to quietly build about 170 underground bases across the US and its coastlines.

Based on her research and comparison with these unexplained funds, she said she was able to “guess” the number of such facilities, though she added there may be even more around the world.

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She told Carlson that these sites were built with one purpose in mind: to prepare for doomsday.

According to her, the bunkers were designed to provide refuge to the elite and powerful, while also housing secretive government projects—including what she described as a “secret space program.”

Fitts also claimed the bunkers are connected by a hidden underground transportation system, likely powered by a secret energy source.

“I’m convinced that this energy exists. If you look at a lot of the really fast ships, flying around the planet, they’re not using classical electricity,” she said, referring to recent sightings of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs).

While the US does have a documented history of building military facilities underground during the Cold War era, like the Cheyenne Mountain Complex or the Greenbrier bunker in West Virginia, Fitts’ sweeping claims about hundreds of bases, black budgets, and advanced energy systems remain unverified.

Former housing official claims the U.S. gov has secretly diverted $21 trillion to build an underground 'city' network for the rich & powerful in a "near-extinction event."

Catherine Austin Fitts suggests some of these bases are located under the ocean.

Fitts previously served… pic.twitter.com/apxswsBvls

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 5, 2025

Her critics are quick to point out her past.

Fitts, a former investment banker, is no stranger to controversy. Over the years, she’s gained attention for promoting theories about COVID-19 vaccines, global mind control, and government surveillance.

The boom of billionaire bunkers  

Even if Fitts’ $21 trillion claim sounds far-fetched, one thing is clear—billionaires are definitely prepping for doomsday.

A US-based company, SAFE (Strategically Armoured & Fortified Environments), earlier this year, unveiled plans to build a luxury fortress just outside Washington in the US by 2026.

The $300 million underground bunker, named Aerie, will shelter 625 of the world’s wealthiest people in the event of a global disaster, reports Daily Mail. How much for the ticket to the secret ’luxury’ bunker? Just $20 million each.

Clients willing to shell out the money will not only have access to the fortress should the world come to an end, but will be able to step foot into the pods whenever they feel their “safety is threatened”.

Beyond just memory-foam mattresses and marble floors, Aerie will provide guests with an unmatched set of facilities, from ‘AI powered’ medical care, and wellness programmes to gourmet dining. It will also have a bowling alley, an indoor pool, cold plunge centres, and even IV therapy rooms.

The company has reportedly received thousands of requests from wealthy figures around the world.

Bunkers, passports, and secret compounds

Beyond Aerie, the trend of doomsday prepping among billionaires has been growing for years.

Back in 2018, a Bloomberg report revealed that at least seven tech entrepreneurs had bought bunkers in New Zealand, long seen as the ultimate safe haven. Even tech mogul Peter Thiel reportedly claimed a New Zealand passport, ready to flee if necessary.

Then there’s Mark Zuckerberg, who is reportedly building a 1,400-acre compound on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. According to a Wired investigation, the compound will include a private underground shelter and is so secretive that construction workers have been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements.

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Tom Cruise are also rumoured to have their own private bunkers—just in case.

Douglas Rushkoff, a media theorist and author who has closely studied this growing phenomenon, believes the fascination with bunkers reflects something deeper.

“We’re having trouble imagining how the world can continue at its current pace,” Rushkoff told Newsweek.

He added, “The data on the ground is indicating catastrophic failure of the systems that sustain life on the planet: ocean salinity, plankton, atmospheric oxygen, aerosols… and that’s just climate change.”

“So, like the billionaires who are actually building bunkers, spaceships, and computers to house their consciousness, normal people are thinking about how to survive a catastrophe as well.”

With input from agencies