There isn't a proper dedicated SOMA plan for all of the elites, that is an experimental side effect of the technology as the elderly CEO of the company with the "SOMA"-esque tech chases immortality. The true purpose of the tech is left ambiguous but is portrayed as literally selling your soul to the devil (to this specific mega corporation) who then owns your likeness and digital consciousness; it's heavily hinted that they can then alter your consciousness so if they were to "bring you back to life" it's not really you.
For example, immortalizing Hillary and Trump then have them "reconcile" very publicly while thanking the mega corporation for the opportunity for them to find common ground, after which they both endorse the still-alive chosen political candidate being backed by the company.
The top tier corporations in-lore are terrifyingly competent in their primary areas of expertise, like say Google is with digital tracking but then releases flubs like Google Hangouts here and there.
The mines are really a lore friendly, dystopic way to partially explain why the world is the way it is. It's worth noting, the company who made those mines is coincidentally the one least affected by them and thus has control of the shipping lanes, but that isn't explicitly stated, they just happen to have massive port facilities and no issues with moving freight.