(From the Mad Max Wealth Bad Time Stories)

In this future, climate breakdown has created a world of scarcity and survival. Wealth is no longer about money — it’s about controlling essential resources. The wealthy live in fortified eco-compounds, while the rest of the world fights for access to clean water, energy, and food. Wealth as we know it will be radically transformed, with sustainable resources becoming the ultimate form of capital.

Did you know? UN study predicts that by 2050, over 140 million people could be displaced due to climate crises, and global water demand will exceed supply by 40%.

Key Statistics:

• By 2030, global water demand is expected to exceed supply by 40%, according to the World Resources Institute, driven by climate change, urbanization, and industrial needs.

• The World Economic Forum ranks climate action failure and natural resource crises among the top global risks, with severe economic consequences.

• A 2022 McKinsey report estimates that climate change could cost the global economy $4.3 trillion annually by 2050, affecting agriculture, labor productivity, and coastal infrastructure.

Resource-Based Wealth:

Wealth in the Mad Max world isn’t measured in money but in control over critical resources. Solar farms, freshwater reservoirs, and sustainable agriculture are the new assets. Investors like Michael Burry have already started investing in water rights, foreseeing the coming shift in what will hold real value.

Historical Insight:

In the 1970s oil crisis, Arab oil producers imposed an embargo in 1973 in response to U.S. support for Israel during the Yom Kippur War. The embargo caused oil prices to surge by nearly 300%, leading to fuel shortages, inflation, and economic disruption in many Western nations.

The crisis demonstrated the global reliance on Middle Eastern oil, as oil-exporting countries, particularly in the Arab world, gained significant geopolitical leverage. Western nations scrambled to secure alternative energy sources, and the crisis had lasting impacts on global energy policies, sparking the push for energy diversification and fuel efficiency.

resilience & self-sufficiency:

In a world where governments and infrastructure fail, wealth is about survival. Those who can live off-grid with their own energy, food, and water supply are the new 1%.

Billionaires, including Peter Thiel, have been purchasing large plots of land in New Zealand to build off-grid luxury bunkers.

New Zealand is seen as a prime location for wealthy individuals to establish resilient, self-sustaining communities far from global hotspots of unrest. These bunkers are designed to be energy self-sufficient, with their own food production capabilities, secure water sources, and renewable energy systems. This trend is a modern example of the elite preparing for self-sufficiency in the event of global crises.

Historical Insight:

The Siege of Leningrad (1941–1944) lasted nearly 900 days during World War II, as Nazi forces blockaded the city, cutting off supplies of food, fuel, and other essentials. The population of almost 3 million faced extreme shortages, with rations dropping to 125 grams of bread per day at the height of the siege. Approximately 1 million civilians died from starvation, cold, and disease. Those with private stockpiles of food or access to resources were often able to survive longer, while many of the population relied on communal rations or turned to desperate measures such as eating non-food items or, in extreme cases, cannibalism.

SUSTAINABILITY AS POWER:

The wealthy aren’t just accumulating resources—they’re building self-sustaining eco-fortresses and survival compounds designed to withstand climate chaos.

Companies like Rising S in Texas specialize in building luxurious, underground bunkers that are designed to be completely self-reliant, incorporating renewable energy systems, water purification, and even private food production facilities.

These projects reflect the idea that sustainability is not just a virtue but a strategy for surviving and maintaining power in a chaotic future.In this version of the future, sustainability is a form of control. Those who can produce and protect energy, water, and food within secure systems are the new power brokers.

Historical Insight:

During the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, as central authority weakened and external invasions increased, the wealthy elite retreated to their villae—large, self-sustaining estates. These estates were often fortified to protect against raids by barbarian groups and local bandits as law and order deteriorated.

The wealthy landowners controlled agricultural production on these estates, ensuring a continuous supply of food and other necessities. Many of these estates functioned almost as autonomous mini-kingdoms, with private militias and defensive structures.

The breakdown of Rome’s infrastructure and political systems made these estates critical survival hubs for the elite, as they could maintain self-sufficiency and defend their resources.

 here’s the naked wealth koan:

When survival becomes the ultimate wealth, who decides what’s enough?

This koan challenges us to think about how, in a world where control over resources defines power, how do we ensure that sustainability benefits everyone — and not just those who can afford to build fortresses?

… and, as always, while you reflect, some inspirationals:

Books:

1. The Survival of the Richest by Douglas Rushkoff

   • A sharp critique of how the wealthy are preparing for a world in crisis. It dives into how billionaires are investing in survival strategies like bunkers and eco-fortresses, perfectly aligning with your themes of wealth and resource control in a climate-ravaged future.

2. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

   • A haunting tale of survival in a post-apocalyptic world where resources are scarce. It captures the raw fight for survival in a collapsed society.

3. The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

   • A near-future thriller about water scarcity in the American Southwest. This dystopian novel explores the geopolitical power struggles over water, paralleling your resource-based wealth theme.

4. Climate Wars by Gwynne Dyer

   • A non-fiction book that investigates the geopolitical consequences of climate change, from resource conflicts to mass migration.

5. Dune by Frank Herbert

   • Set on a desert planet where control over water is the key to power. The story of survival and resource management in extreme environments directly mirrors the Mad Max theme.

6. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond

   • A deep dive into how and why civilizations collapse, exploring the role of environmental mismanagement and resource depletion.

Movies:

1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

   • The ultimate depiction of a post-apocalyptic world where resources, particularly water and fuel, are tightly controlled by the powerful. Perfectly fits your narrative.

2. Children of Men (2006)

   • Set in a future where societal collapse and environmental decline make survival a fight. It’s a striking portrayal of resource scarcity and government breakdown.

3. The Hunger Games series

   • A dystopian world where a wealthy elite controls resources while the majority struggles. Themes of survival, resource inequality, and societal control are central.

4. Snowpiercer (2013)

   • The last remnants of humanity survive on a train, where a rigid class system controls access to resources. It explores wealth inequality and resource allocation in a post-climate-apocalypse world.

5. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

   • A climate disaster movie focusing on extreme weather events, resource crises, and societal collapse due to rapid climate change.

6. The Book of Eli (2010)

   • Set in a post-apocalyptic world, where a lone survivor protects a valuable resource. This film highlights the theme of survival and control over scarce resources.

Documentaries/Podcasts:

1. Before the Flood (2016)

   • A documentary produced by Leonardo DiCaprio that investigates the dangers of climate change, its global effects, and the politics around sustainable solutions.

2. Planet of the Humans (2020)

   • This controversial documentary questions the effectiveness of some sustainable energy solutions, arguing that the system still serves the wealthiest while ignoring real solutions.

3. The End of Civilization? (BBC)

   • A documentary exploring how civilizations throughout history have collapsed due to environmental factors, directly linking to the themes of resource management and sustainability.

4. 2040 (2019)

   • A more optimistic take on the future, this documentary imagines a sustainable world in 2040, providing solutions to climate change and resource use.

5. Hot Take: A Climate Podcast

   • A thought-provoking podcast exploring climate change, its societal impacts, and the intersection of climate action with wealth and power.

6. The Big Short Podcast

   • Not exclusively about climate change, but focuses on economic systems and collapse, with episodes that examine the fragility of wealth, drawing parallels to resource crises.