Amidst a growing trend of the rich and famous building “doomsday bunkers,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is denying rumors that he has one underneath his $270 million estate. Wired first reported on the estate in 2023 at the time of the estate’s construction on the northeast side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The estate was cloaked in mystery, with contractors, plumbers, carpenters, and anyone else associated with the project bound by non-disclosure agreements (NDA) that kept many fearful from discussing the project or even taking pictures. The project was said to include the building of a 5,000-square-foot underground shelter, complete with its own energy and food supplies.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Zuckerberg compared the structure to a basement. “No, I think that’s just like a little shelter. It’s like a basement,” he said. He framed the purpose of the estate, dubbed Koolau Ranch, as raising “world-class” cattle that will live on a diet of beer and macadamia nuts. The compound covers an area of 1,400 acres and includes more than a dozen buildings that boast some 30 bedrooms and 30 bathrooms altogether. Unconfirmed reports speculate the shelter includes a “blast-resistant door” and that there are numerous cameras on site.

Zuckerberg is not the only ultra-wealthy individual to have reportedly constructed a shelter for a seemingly apocalyptic event. Companies that specialize in such shelters are reporting an uptick in interest since the COVID-19 pandemic. Such shelters are not bare bones either; many include gyms and saunas and other amenities to make end-of-the world living more bearable. Such notable billionaires as Kanye “Ye” West, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates have also been reported to have underground tunnels and bunkers. Concerns over climate change and global instability may be contributing to the interest in such “doomsday bunkers.”

Social media is filled with conspiracies about billionaires building bunkers. “Mark Zuckerberg builds a 200 million dollar bunker. [Then] Denies It? WW3 PREPERATION!? NUCLEAR WAR? (PREP),” theorized one user. “It’s not a doomsday bunker. Zuckerberg just wants to live like a mole, underground. I mean, who wants to see the sunshine in Hawaii, right? LOL,” wrote another.