While some billionaires build bunkers, others are quietly securing Plan B passports through citizenship and residency investment programs.
The ultra-wealthy have always had escape plans. But today’s tech elite are taking contingency planning to unprecedented levels, and it goes far beyond stockpiling supplies or constructing underground shelters.
As artificial intelligence reshapes our world at breakneck speed, a growing number of tech entrepreneurs and executives are making a different kind of investment: second citizenships and alternative residencies. While bunkers and gold make headlines, citizenship by investment (CBI) and residency by investment (RBI) programs have become the quieter, more practical insurance policy for those worried about an uncertain future.
The Perfect Storm of Uncertainty
The reasoning isn’t hard to understand. Many tech leaders are simultaneously building the AI systems they fear could destabilize society while watching geopolitical tensions rise, economic volatility increase, and climate disruptions intensify. Whether their concerns center on AGI gone wrong, political instability, economic collapse, or environmental catastrophe, the wealthy are hedging their bets.
Unlike a bunker in Hawaii or a remote property in New Zealand, a second passport offers something more versatile: mobility. In a crisis scenario, the ability to legally live, work, and move freely across borders becomes invaluable. It’s not just about having somewhere to go, it’s about having options when you need them most.
What Are CBI and RBI Programs?
Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs allow individuals to obtain full citizenship and a passport from another country in exchange for significant financial investment. This might include real estate purchases, government bonds, or direct contributions to national development funds.
Residency by Investment (RBI) programs grant legal residency status (and often a path to eventual citizenship) in exchange for investment. While not providing immediate passport benefits, RBI programs offer legal right to live in a country and often come with fewer restrictions and lower investment thresholds than full citizenship programs.
Popular Destinations for the Prepared Elite
Several countries have emerged as favorites among those seeking geopolitical diversification:
Caribbean Nations like St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica offer some of the fastest and most established CBI programs, with investments starting around $100,000 to $200,000. These programs provide visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 140 countries and can be completed in months rather than years.
European Options including Portugal’s Golden Visa, Malta’s citizenship program, and Greece’s residency schemes appeal to those wanting access to the European Union. Portugal’s program, one of the most popular, has attracted significant tech wealth, offering a pathway to EU citizenship through real estate or fund investments starting around €500,000.
Traditional Havens like New Zealand and Singapore have long attracted wealthy Americans and Europeans, though their programs typically require larger investments and longer timelines. New Zealand’s investor visa categories require investments ranging from NZ$3 million to NZ$10 million.
Emerging Players such as the United Arab Emirates have introduced new programs, with Dubai’s Golden Visa offering 10-year residency for investors, entrepreneurs, and specialized professionals. Turkey’s program offers citizenship for real estate investments of $400,000, providing access to a strategically positioned nation bridging Europe and Asia.
Beyond the Bunker Mentality
What makes CBI and RBI programs particularly attractive to the tech elite is that they’re not all-or-nothing propositions. Unlike building a bunker you may never use, alternative citizenship serves practical purposes even in non-apocalyptic scenarios:
Tax planning and financial strategy become more sophisticated with multiple jurisdictions to choose from. While tax evasion is illegal, legal tax planning across different countries is standard wealth management.
Business expansion is simpler when entrepreneurs hold citizenship in markets they’re trying to enter. A second passport can open doors for investment, partnerships, and operations that might otherwise face regulatory hurdles.
Family security extends beyond the individual. Most programs allow investors to include spouses, children, and sometimes parents, ensuring entire families have exit options.
Travel freedom matters even in stable times. Some passports offer dramatically better visa-free access than others, making international business and personal travel far simpler.
The Criticism and the Reality
Critics argue these programs allow the wealthy to buy their way out of problems while leaving everyone else to face the consequences. There’s truth to this concern. When society’s most resourced members are planning exits rather than investing in solutions, it raises uncomfortable questions about collective responsibility and social cohesion.
Others worry that CBI programs can enable money laundering, tax evasion, or provide safe havens for ill-gotten wealth. Reputable programs have responded with stronger due diligence, working with international compliance standards to vet applicants thoroughly.
Yet the human instinct to secure safety for oneself and one’s family is universal. The ultra-wealthy simply have more resources to act on that instinct. Whether their fears about AI, political instability, or social collapse prove prescient or paranoid, the surge in investment immigration applications from tech elites signals their lack of confidence in a stable status quo.
A Hedge Against Uncertainty
Perhaps what’s most telling about the rise of citizenship and residency investment isn’t the specific fears driving it, but what it says about how the people building our technological future view that future. When those at the forefront of artificial intelligence and technological disruption are quietly securing multiple passports, they’re making a statement about probability and risk.
For the tech billionaire with guns, gold, and a bunker, a second citizenship might be the most practical preparation of all. You can’t easily relocate a bunker, and gold is heavy. But a passport fits in your pocket, works across borders, and doesn’t require explaining to customs officials why you’re fleeing with bars of precious metal.
In an era of increasing uncertainty in Europe and USA, whether driven by technology, politics, climate, or economics, citizenship by investment has become the best insurance policy for those who can afford it. It’s doomsday prepping for the globally mobile elite: quiet, legal, and infinitely more practical than a shelter in Hawaii.
The question isn’t whether this trend will continue. It’s whether the rest of us should be concerned that those with the most resources and information are making sure they have somewhere else to go.