The wealthy prepare for war the way they prepare for any big risk: they hedge. They hold a second passport, spread assets across countries and currencies, keep fast exits and remote property, own hard assets, and invest in the industries that grow when governments spend on security. This is insurance, not prophecy. Most of it is boring, legal and expensive, and parts of it can be copied on a small scale.
The world feels tense in 2026, and the figures show it: global military spending reached $2.718 trillion in 2024, up 9.4% in a year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, with European spending up 17%. We looked at how rich people hedge geopolitical risk and found 15 recurring moves. A word of caution: the worst time to make a plan is during a crisis. Here is the video version:
| # | Move | Risk it covers | Can ordinary people copy it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Second citizenship or residency | Being stuck in one country | Partly: ancestry and work visas |
| 2 | Assets in several countries and currencies | Frozen accounts, currency collapse | Yes: multi-currency, multi-bank |
| 3 | Private jets, helicopters, small airfields | Gridlock, closed airports | Partly: plan routes |
| 4 | Superyachts | Mobile safe home | No |
| 5 | Remote land and islands | Pandemics, unrest | Partly: rural property |
| 6 | Physical and mental fitness | Being the weak link | Yes |
| 7 | A network of allies | Isolation | Yes |
| 8 | Early information, moving first | Late reaction | Yes |
| 9 | Bunkers | Long outages | Partly: home preparedness |
| 10 | Private security | Safety during disorder | No |
| 11 | Gold, art, bitcoin | Inflation, portable value | Partly |
| 12 | Defense and energy supply chain | Profiting from spending | Yes, via funds (not advice) |
| 13 | Reconstruction | Profiting after conflict | Partly |
| 14 | Satellite communications | Grid failure | Yes |
| 15 | Space and long-term refuge | Extinction-level risk | No |
1. Multiple citizenships through international investment
In a crisis, citizens can usually return to the country where they hold a passport. That is repatriation, and it is one reason the super-rich have bought second citizenships and residencies through investor or “golden visa” programs for two decades.
The picture is changing. In April 2025, the EU’s top court ruled Malta’s investor-citizenship scheme contrary to EU law, which a 2026 analysis called the final stage in the closure of the EU’s retail golden-passport market. Meanwhile, newer programs keep appearing: Nauru and Sao Tome and Principe have set up citizenship-by-investment frameworks, and in October 2026 Argentina’s president announced plans to offer so-called golden passports for a contribution of $350,000 or an $800,000 investment in a seven-year government bond. Rules and prices move quickly, so verify before you act.
Ordinary people have cheaper routes: citizenship by descent, work visas, and residency through study or remote-work programs.
2. Assets in several countries and currencies
War damages currencies. A person who holds everything in one country’s money, in one country’s banks, is exposed. The wealthy spread holdings across jurisdictions that offer stability, banking access and investor protections, and they earn in more than one currency. The most-named spots are Switzerland, Luxembourg and Portugal in Europe; the UAE (Dubai has no personal income tax); Singapore; Australia and New Zealand; and Mexico for people who want a land route out of the US.
The second principle is uncorrelated income: if your rental properties and your local business all depend on one region, one event can hit them together. Income from somewhere else is a hedge. Rules for foreign accounts and foreign real estate vary by country, and tax reporting is strict, so get professional advice.
3. Helicopters, jets and small airfields
The last place to be in a fast-moving crisis is stuck in traffic in a major city. The wealthy plan for speed: a helipad, a jet on call, and access to small private airports, because main airports tend to be overwhelmed or closed first. Motorcycles also get through traffic faster than cars.
Some also pay for evacuation memberships, where a security firm provides priority access to emergency transport. Many things that look like pure luxury double as emergency infrastructure. If you want to see how the rich travel, we covered everything in this article.
4. Yachts and superyachts
People like to mock the super-rich for spending hundreds of millions on a yacht, until they realize it is a home that can leave. A superyacht has the facilities of a hotel, water production, solar and satellite connectivity, and enough space for a family. It is expensive to run, but it lets you sail away from a problem with your entire household, and the family already knows the layout, which helps psychologically.
5. Remote land, islands and New Zealand
Islands have an obvious advantage in a pandemic or a regional conflict: distance. That is why wealthy buyers look at private islands, Hawaii and New Zealand. Going self-sufficient, with water purification, batteries, generators and solar roofs, is all available for purchase. It costs a lot to make such a place livable, but once done you have either a refuge or a paradise.
New Zealand has rules on foreign buyers and immigration, so check what is currently permitted before assuming you can buy.
6. Peak mental and physical shape
What if you had one chance to get out and could not see without your glasses? Wealthy people sometimes get corrective eye surgery, joint procedures and strength training for exactly this reason. If you can afford it, why leave a liability in a life-or-death situation?
The mental side matters even more. Gear is no help if you freeze in the moment. Your family depends on your ability to decide clearly under pressure. That is why education and mental strength matter, and why people use the Alux app, a mentor in your ear with a full library of coaching sessions. Check the app for current plans and pricing.
7. Cooperation with other wealthy people
Survival is a team sport, and who you know often counts more than what you own. People in dense networks get information, introductions and help when systems strain. The wealthy build those ties early. Think about your own circle: in a crisis, who could you rely on, and what is your plan together? Send them this article.
8. Early information and moving first
Whenever a big event is about to happen, a small group learns about it first, and acting early is a common thread in stories of people who got out in time. The wealthy keep moving: they follow geopolitical advisers, keep documents current and leave at the first reliable signs. The ordinary version is to follow multiple credible sources, keep passports valid and your papers in a go-bag.
9. Luxury bunkers with air and water filtration
How long could you wait something out with what you have on hand? Weeks? Months? There is a market for it. In 2017, Reid Hoffman estimated that more than half of his fellow Silicon Valley billionaires had bought some kind of “apocalypse insurance,” such as a remote property or shelter. Prices for custom shelters run from about $250,000 into the millions, based on what builders have quoted, and some offer underground apartments with air filtration, deep water sources, solar power, grow lights and entertainment rooms. See some examples of luxury bunkers around the world.
10. Private security
If disorder spreads, wealth makes you a target, so the rich pay for protection: security teams, secured and sometimes armored vehicles, monitored properties. A recurring question among them is loyalty, meaning how to make sure the people protecting you are aligned with you. The usual answer is skin in the game: pay well and look after the families of those who work for you. The less dramatic lesson is that plans are only worth what you can deploy; an unusable resource is just someone else’s inventory.
11. Gold, art, bitcoin and other portable value
You need to move value across time and space. Paper money loses value in many wars and crises, so the wealthy hold stores of value that fit in a bag. That is the original purpose of jewelry: carrying the family’s savings on your body.
The prices today show why people pay attention. On October 23, 2026, December gold futures closed at about $4,008 per ounce and silver at about $53.95. On October 25, 2026, bitcoin traded at about $80,584. We are not saying any of these is a safe haven, and each can fall as well as rise. Think of them as insurance that fits in a pocket or on a hard drive, in small amounts, not as a bet to sell your house for. In our bitcoin course we show how to set up a hardware wallet in a few hours: see the course page for current offers.
12. The defense and energy supply chain
Some businesses see demand rise when governments spend more on security. Energy companies, weapons manufacturers and defense contractors are the obvious examples, and manufacturers can retool assembly lines for military goods, as car and clothing makers did in the twentieth century. With world military spending at $2.718 trillion in 2024, investors have noticed.
For context, on October 23, 2026 Lockheed Martin closed at $604.18, Germany’s Rheinmetall at EUR 1,019, and the iShares U.S. Aerospace and Defense ETF (ITA) at $202.23. This is information, not advice, and these shares can fall sharply if tensions ease. Many people prefer to profit in ways that do not depend on conflict.
13. Reconstruction
After every war, the world needs rebuilding. People with capital, equipment and expertise can rebuild faster and better, and governments tend to award big contracts to established firms. Ukraine is a current example: the EU proposed a facility of up to EUR 50 billion over four years to support recovery, and officials have called it the largest reconstruction effort in Europe since World War II. Those with construction, materials, energy and logistics businesses position themselves early.
14. Satellite communications and private internet
If the grid goes down, so do the lights, your phone signal and your TV. Satellite communication is one workaround. As of October 2026, SpaceX’s Starlink network had about 11,150 satellites in orbit, up from roughly 4,550 when we first wrote this article, and serves approximately 160 countries and territories. That does not make it risk-free, but it is one of the few ways to stay connected when ground infrastructure fails. Starlink might seem expensive until you need it. A cheaper step for everyone: a battery radio, power bank and offline maps.
15. Space and long-term refuge
The most extreme hedge is leaving the planet. Elon Musk has said that a self-sustaining city on Mars is meant to be a second home for humanity, and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin talks about people living and working in space. These are long-term, speculative projects, but they show how the very rich think about extinction-level risk. It is a horrible subject, and a reminder that money buys options when things go wrong.
We hope all this stays in the category of preparation. Make a plan, tell people you love them, and stay safe.
What can you copy today?
You do not need a bunker. Keep your passport and documents current and together. Hold some savings in more than one bank and, if possible, more than one currency. Keep a few weeks of food and water, a power bank, a radio, medicine and cash in small bills. Agree on a meeting point and a plan with family. Build skills and relationships you can lean on.
Keep reading
- How the ultra rich travel: private aviation and the logistics behind it
- Money myths debunked: common beliefs about money that fail under stress
FAQ
How do rich people prepare for war?
They hedge. Common moves include a second citizenship or residency, assets in several countries and currencies, fast exit routes, remote property, hard assets such as gold, private security and independent communications such as satellite internet.
Why do the rich hold gold and bitcoin during crises?
They are portable and not tied to a single government’s currency. On October 23, 2026, December gold futures were about $4,008 per ounce and on October 25, 2026 bitcoin was about $80,584, but both can rise and fall sharply.
Can you still buy citizenship by investment in 2026?
Some countries still offer it, but the market is changing. The EU’s top court ruled Malta’s scheme contrary to EU law in April 2025, while newer programs have appeared elsewhere. Always verify current rules.
Which industries benefit when governments spend more on defense?
Defense contractors, energy companies and manufacturers that can retool for military production. Global military spending was $2.718 trillion in 2024, up 9.4% from the year before.
How many Starlink satellites are in orbit?
As of October 2026, roughly 11,150, which is a large increase from around 4,550 when this article was first written.
What can ordinary people do to prepare for a crisis?
Keep documents together and current, hold savings in more than one bank, store a few weeks of food, water and medicine, and keep a power bank, a radio and a family plan.
How we put this list together
This list draws on public reporting about how wealthy families manage geopolitical risk, plus our own research. We dated every market price, replaced outdated figures with 2025 and 2026 data, and removed claims we could not confirm. Nothing here is financial or legal advice.
Last updated: October 2026.
