DAILY MAIL
The Titanic submersible tragedy has shone a light on a growing trend among the world’s wealthiest people — extreme tourism.
When photos emerged of the claustrophobic interior of the 22ft submersible that has no chairs and Ziploc bags for toilets, the world was shocked to learn its five crew members paid $250,000 a head for a ticket.
The finding of debris from the submarine has led the US Coast Guard and OceanGate Expeditions to conclude that those on board have died.
But Dr Scott Lyons, a psychologist whose clients include some of the world’s wealthiest people, told DailyMail.com that new technologies have made it possible for rich people to chase increasingly dangerous thrills.
Jetting into space, exploring the depths of the ocean and skydiving from Mount Everest come with a hefty price tag that can only be afforded by the top earners.
Dr Lyons said the rich seek a ‘sense of aliveness,’ as there will be ‘safety in parts of their life like finances, so they might seek the thrill and the risk in other places.’
The uber-wealthy may also naturally be risk-takers, which may be partly why they rose to success in the first place.
According to Grand View Research, the global adventure tourism industry is predicted to expand from $322 billion in 2022 to more than $1 trillion in 2023 as more firms seek to expand their offerings to daredevil tourists.
Dr Lyons said: ‘People will do more thrill-seeking if they’re susceptible to boredom. As you get more extravagant in life, things become less exciting. You’re looking for the novelties of life as things become so available to you.’
The adventures offer a ‘sense of aliveness,’ he said. ‘If there’s safety in some parts of their life like finances, where it doesn’t feel so risky, they might seek the thrill and the risk in other places.’
He added: ‘Sensation seeking also comes with people who desire pain relief or avoidance. And it gives us a sense of power in the moment.’
The crew of the missing Titan submersible includes British billionaire Hamish Harding, with a net worth of $1 billion, who made his fortune selling private jets and holds three Guinness world records for past extreme trips.
Also on board are British-based Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman.
The Dawood family are among the richest in Pakistan, but have strong links to the UK and Shahzada lives in a six-bedroom $4.2 (£3.3million) house in Surbiton, Surrey, with wife Christine, who works as a life coach, son Suleman and daughter Alina.
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush is also believed to be onboard, who has an estimated net worth of $12 million, as is French Navy veteran Paul-Henri Nargeolet, worth $1.5 billion.
There is a potent physiological mechanism behind thrill-seeking, Dr Lyons explained.
‘It starts with a part of the brain called the amygdala, which assesses negative consequences, and essentially turns on a cascade of hormones, like dopamine, testosterone, norepinephrine, adrenaline and serotonin,’ he said.
‘There’s a whole cocktail of hormones that get released and offers pain relief or endorphins, avoidance, and, momentarily, this sense
