There's a chance, based on various observations, that we are in a solar cycle that will climax with a micro-nova sometime between now and 2050. This would certainly be a global catastrophe but, this type of catastrophe happens roughly every 12k years and humans are still here so it certainly isn't an extinction event. However, there will come a time in the near future where hiding the truth will be impossible. So if you're an evil billion/trillionaire and have prepared your underground bunker for the catastrophe, do you want 8-10 billion angry, scared people banging down your door? No, of course you don't.