What are the most bizarre obsessions of the ultra-rich?

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What are the most bizarre obsessions of the ultra rich?

Thanks for asking. Private snow rooms, attempts to slow aging, frozen bodies and luxury bunkers. When money is no object, even the limits of life can become something to spend a fortune trying to overcome. What's a snow room? It's an extravagant way to stay cool. A private snow room can cost from $130,000. Snow cannons spray frozen water and compressed air into the room, creating a permanent winter. Techno Alpine, which normally makes snow for ski resorts, adapted the technology so the snow doesn't melt. The New York Times reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has one aboard his 134-metre yacht. As well as climate, what else do the ultra rich try to manage?

Aging itself. Take American billionaire Brian Johnson. He reportedly spends almost $2 million a year trying to slow the ageing process. He gets up at 5am, follows a morning routine lasting more than four and a half hours, and has even undergone plasma transfusions involving his son, as shown in the documentary Don't Die. This pursuit of a longer life has become particularly popular amongst Silicon Valley billionaires, with Mark Zuckerberg predicting that living beyond 100 could become normal by the end of the century. But scientists are much more cautious, saying that human lifespan is likely to remain around the mid-80s for the foreseeable future. And how far will they go to prepare for the end? Some wealthy people are freezing their bodies after death, hoping future technology might bring them back. German startup TomorrowBio offers crypto-preservation for around 200,000 euros, but we still don't know how to freeze and thaw an entire human body without causing irreversible damage.

Others are preparing for the apocalypse. Wired reported that Mark Zuckerberg secretly commissioned a vast complex in Hawaii. Since the war in Ukraine began, bunker companies have reported orders soaring by 500%, and in one case by 1000%.

And what else do the ultra-rich like to do? Well, there are the dinosaur collectors. Journalist Pauline Lament says the market took off after a T-Rex sold for more than $8 million in 1997 Since then, some billionaires have collected fossils like classic cars, potentially restricting scientists' access to them. There you have it.

Now you know the most bizarre obsessions of the ultra-rich. In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts, and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you really will know for sure.

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