# Tom Cruise's $10M Survival Bunker **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 3, 2007, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345 "2007-10-03T03:33:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/1 "2007-10-03T03:33:05Z")
From [here.](http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/10/tom-cruises-10m.html) > [@](#): > > Tom Cruise is planning to build a $10 million bunker underneath his Colorado mansion in preparation for the end of the world, according to a bizarre new report. The Top Gun star and Scientology nut is said to be taking the costly precaution in order to out-smart an evil intergalactic ruler called Xenu who, he believes, will attack Earth. A source told Star magazine: "Tom is planning to build a $10 million bunker under his Telluride estate. Imagine, building an edifice worth millions of dollars, in which you hide and pray, to protect yourself from an entity who is supposedly returning to Earth to weed out the good from the bad. I’ve never heard of such a preposterous scheme in my life. What would happen if other people started believing in such a ridiculous fantasy? ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/2 "2007-10-03T05:53:57Z")
Why is he hiding, rather than trying to move himself into the ranks of the good, where he’d be safe? Or is that too much work? ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/3 "2007-10-03T05:59:12Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] Imagine, building an edifice worth millions of dollars, in which you hide and pray, to protect yourself from an entity who is supposedly returning to Earth to weed out the good from the bad. [/QUOTE] Catholics have been doing it for thousands\* of years. You’ve given a perfect description of a Cathedral. Or am I being wooshed? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/4 "2007-10-03T06:00:34Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Why is he hiding, rather than trying to move himself into the ranks of the good, where he’d be safe? Or is that too much work? Xenu’s not actually going to _help_ the good. [This is Xenu.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/38/South_Park_Xenu.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/5 "2007-10-03T08:01:17Z")
I pity anyone who dares to fart in it. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/6 "2007-10-03T08:14:45Z")
I am torn - do I believe STAR Magazine, or do I believe a crazed, rich Scientologist would do such a thing? Yep, I believe Tom Cruise is building it. I hear he picked the bunker staff from guys he met at Gold’s Gym. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/7 "2007-10-03T10:13:14Z")
I think Cruise is crazy, but heck, if I had a bajillion dollars, I’d probably have a bunker somewhere, just in case. But my “just in case” is vastly different from his, I guar-on-tee you. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/8 "2007-10-03T10:26:01Z")
Mormons are supposed to take similar precautions for the end of the world, aren’t they? Granted I don’t know if most of them put it 10 million into it, but I seem to recall people pointing out various structures as percautions for the apocalypse when I was growing up in Utah. We all laugh now, but after World War III, the only ones left will be the Scientologists and the Mormons, ready to duke it out over the remains of the US ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/9 "2007-10-03T11:58:56Z")
That’s awesome. If I was rich, I’d totally build my own bunker and pay ex-special ops types to teach me how to kill 3 people at once using only a spoon. When the zombie uprising happened, I would be king. ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/10 "2007-10-03T12:09:16Z")
Would he have to worry if he was “clear?” Work harder, Tom. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/11 "2007-10-03T12:09:31Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] I am torn - do I believe STAR Magazine, or do I believe a crazed, rich Scientologist would do such a thing? Yep, I believe Tom Cruise is building it. I hear he picked the bunker staff from guys he met at Gold’s Gym. [/QUOTE] Where did you hear that? Or am I whooshed too? Because I’m starting to wonder about these stories. ISTM that Clambo is occupying the same space Michael Jackson did in the late '80s and early '90s, before the first accusation. He came off as erratic, eccentric, disturbed – although not at that time a danger to others – and in general, not sharing the same reality as the rest of the world. And then years later, I found out that many of those stories were bogus. Elephant Man’s bones? He was never going to do that. Hyperbaric chamber? He **told** his people to circulate that story, and he’d never stuck a toe into the thing. Constantly trolling for attention, and what people didn’t know at the time was that a much more disturbing issue was behind the smoke screen. But it got him a lot of free publicity. And so does Clambo when one of these stories circulate. Add in the fact that there’s speculation that Suri is not his, nor Katie’s either\*, and I’m shuddering to think what this behavior might be misdirection for. Or perhaps it’s not misdirection; just attention whoring. But in any case, it sounds deliberately outrageous. \*Her supposedly pregnant abdomen changed size and shape randomly, and did not appear to be consistent with the estimated date of conception. Add in the “silent birthing” resulting in no one having witnessed the birth, and I’m open to the theory that Suri is the offspring of a nameless Scieno, who can’t claim her child because according to the rules, they’re not supposed to reproduce. Yeah, I know, Travolta. There would be exceptions for the famous and the higher-ups. **ETA:** And is the bunker just for him and his family? Or can other Scienos join them? Not everyone has $10 million to burn on something like this. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/12 "2007-10-03T12:15:39Z")
My only thought is someday this place will be listed for sale in the local Thrifty Nickel, “7 Bed, 8 1/2 bath, fml dng rm, bmb shltr, Must see!” ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/13 "2007-10-03T12:48:21Z")
Scientologists aren’t supposed to reproduce? Learn something weird every day. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/14 "2007-10-03T13:50:45Z")
Hell, why build a bunker when there’s already [bunkers](http://www.silohome.com/) available that provide way more protection than anything you’re going to have built for just $10m? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/15 "2007-10-03T13:55:11Z")
[QUOTE=Randy Seltzer] Catholics have been doing it for thousands\* of years. You’ve given a perfect description of a Cathedral. Or am I being wooshed? [/QUOTE] There was indeed some intentional double entendres in my OP. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/16 "2007-10-03T14:16:43Z")
If I had the money I’d have a huge bunker myself, stocked with all kinds of food and various tools to farm if necessary, along with various types of seeds etc. Hell, I plan on moving to Montana or somewhere else up north 'cuz if the government falls there’d be a better chance of survival up there instead of in California. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/17 "2007-10-03T14:17:32Z")
Tom Cruise travels all around the world. Does he think that the Scientological apocalypse will happen with enough warning for him to get back to Colorado? For that matter, wouldn’t someone with the ability to travel interstellar distances probably be able to muster enough technology to dig him up? ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/18 "2007-10-03T14:24:58Z")
[QUOTE=SnakesCatLady] Scientologists aren’t supposed to reproduce? Learn something weird every day. [/QUOTE] So they’re a bit like vampires and werewolves, only able to spread by biting/converting new people. Makes them just a little bit sicker in my eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/19 "2007-10-03T14:28:20Z")
You know… if I had that kind of money… Fuck y’all, I’m building an emergency bunker. Is this any different than my piddly ass emergency suppy box, that would get supplied for a week in the event of a natural disaster? Not really. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345/20 "2007-10-03T21:48:50Z")
\< Hijack Re: Michael Jackson \> [QUOTE=Rilchiam] Hyperbaric chamber? He **told** his people to circulate that story, and he’d never stuck a toe into the thing. [/QUOTE] That’s not quite right. He didn’t tell anyone to circulate the photos and he _did_ climb into a hyperbaric chamber. It ws part of an enormous donation ($5 million) he made to a hospital, the Brothman Burn Center, in addition to the $1.5 million he donated that came from the out-of-court stettlement with Pepsi for the accident that burned him while doing a Pepsi commercial. On a lark, he climbed into the hyperbaric chamber while he was touring the facility. Someone took his photo and sold it to the tabloids. \< /hijack \> If the Tom Cruise allegations are flase, that’s still not a good sign. It means that your public persona is considered so off-kilter that such ridiculous behavior is seen as credible. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruises-10m-survival-bunker/421345.md?page=2)