Cultures are about shared values. Society has always had its rich, poor and in between, but the glue in any society is that all of citizens have something in common even if their financial circumstances vary. That’s not true anymore. The rich are not just rich, they’re super-rich and have options that everyday citizens cannot obtain and can barely imagine. This separation of the super-rich and everyone else is playing out in anticipation of the next financial crisis and the social breakdown that will not be far behind. Everyday citizens prepare for adverse circumstances with batteries, bottled water, flashlights and a first-aid kit. The super-rich are preparing to leave the planet in spaceships or at least get to private estates in New Zealand with ample food, water, and solar-powered electricity waiting for them when they get there. This article takes a critical look at the preparations of the super-rich to leave the rest of us behind when society implodes. What is most revealing is the extent to which the super-rich are just as confused and unprepared as anyone else when it comes to survival in a crisis. Here’s a sample from a conversation with a group of hedge fund billionaires: “This single question occupied us… They knew armed guards would be required to protect their compounds from the angry mobs. But how would they pay the guards once money was worthless? What would stop the guards from choosing their own leader?” That’s an easy one. You pay your guards the same way Julius Caesar and King Henry II did – in gold and silver. If the rich can’t figure this out, it shows they’re no better off than anyone else despite their rocket ships and New Zealand estates. Accredited investors interested in learning more about Jim Rickard’s private placement in the world’s first predictive data analytics startup that combines human and artificial intelligence with complexity science should check out his offering at Meraglim Holdings. Click the link to learn more.