General Discussion

The thing they don't control is people like Luigi Mangione. And they know it.

illionaires are more concerned than ever about the safety of themselves and their families.

Tensions spiked after the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December. Then came the January kidnapping of French cryptocurrency founder David Balland, who was held for ransom for two days while the assailants mutilated his hand, followed by an April arson attack on the home of billionaire Steve Sarowitz by a suspect who also made ransom and kidnapping threats, prosecutors say.

These assaults have come as resentment toward the rich and powerful increases amid wealth inequality, overseas wars and hyper-polarized politics. A recent Emerson survey, for instance, reported that 41% of voters aged 18 to 29 believe Luigi Mangione’s alleged murder of Thompson was “acceptable.” (Mangione has pleaded not guilty). Risk management company Nisos found that online threats against CEOs increased 41% as well in the six weeks following the shooting.

All of this has led the nation’s wealthiest people and the companies that employ them to seek out personal security at increased rates over the past few months, 13 firms tell Forbes. Five companies said the number of inquiries for their services was among the highest ever, while four said it was the highest. Allied Universal, the biggest provider of private security guards in the world, says it’s getting 1,500% more threat assessment requests than this time last year.

...

Hiring a somewhat reputable bodyguard on the cheap might cost as “little” as $120,000 per year. But that’s rarely what experts recommend to mitigate risk. In fact, most U.S. billionaires don’t have a full-time bodyguard. Among the more common services: A team that monitors the internet for threats and leaked personal information (typical cost at the most elite firms: $200,000 to $300,000 per year for sophisticated 24-7 coverage); personal drivers who also have security training ($250,000 to $500,000 for two drivers); residential security, including cameras and armed guards ($750,000 to over $1 million); and protection while traveling (costs vary based on location). A full executive protection team, which tends to involve all of the above, plus part-time bodyguards who have medical training and professionals who secure sites before a billionaire arrives, costs at least $2 million—and frequently much more—with team members often making $200,000 each, according to the experts polled by Forbes.

These costs are sometimes covered by companies as part of executives’ compensation packages. The U.S. tax code allows employees to write off that benefit as long as there’s a demonstrable cause for safety concerns. Last year, Snap paid $2.8 million for CEO and cofounder Evan Spiegel’s personal security. Alphabet paid $8.3 million for CEO Sundar Pichai. Meta paid $24.4 million to protect Mark Zuckerberg and his family.

Zuckerberg likely pays additional security fees out of pocket. He has among the biggest executive protection teams of any American billionaire—probably around 20 full-time people, two experts estimate. “He’s incredibly adventurous and does all these wild and crazy things because he can,” says Michael Julian, CEO of MPS Security. “That guy’s got a full team everywhere he goes, if he goes on a run or mountain biking. He’s got a team that does nothing but water sports, that’s trained and knows all the life-saving stuff.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicahunter-hart/2025/05/09/how-the-ultra-wealthy-are-protecting-themselves-against-arson-attacks-kidnapping-and-worse/