Prosperous Elites Make Fortunes

Prosperous Elites Make Fortunes

Unquenchable Thirst for Eternity: Tech billionaires diving headfirst into life extension research

The thirst for immortality or radical life extension is no longer a pipe dream for the ultra-rich tech enthusiasts. Robert Miller isn't the only one hopping on the bandwagon. Jeff Bezos, the Amazon tycoon, is investing in a secretive research company aiming to crack the "rejuvenation" code through cellular reprogramming. Meanwhile, Sam Altman of OpenAI is pouring money into an innovative biotech firm that's working tirelessly to "rejuvenate" animals (and eventually humans). Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook genius, vows to award scientists making groundbreaking advances that promise an extended human lifespan.

According to Aleks Krotoski, the host of the BBC podcast The Immortals, these investors are dead-set on extending their lives, convinced that they'll gain eternal fame for helping humanity conquer the inevitability of death.

Push and Pull

The fascination with immortality isn't merely about personal interest; it's also an ideological quest for some.

Peter Thiel, the illustrious co-founder of PayPal and a Forbes' Top 130 worldwide billionaire, has openly stated his opposition to high taxes, oppressive collectives, and the belief that death is an unavoidable fate for every individual. Thiel, a mentor to J.D. Vance and an admirer of Nietzsche, funds multiple longevity studies and plans to be cryogenically frozen at Alcor upon his demise. Thiel told journalist Bari Weiss in 2023, "It's more a matter of principle. I don't necessarily expect it to work, but I think it's the kind of thing we should try."

Innovators on the Forefront

Entrepreneurs like Bryan Johnson, famous for promoting an extreme anti-aging regimen involving ingesting over 100 pills daily, have also joined the fray. Johnson's latest experiment involved transfusing his teenage son's plasma into his veins, an operation that offered no benefits to his health.

Industry leaders are exploring diverse approaches to achieving life extension. Peter Diamandis, for example, launched the Healthspan XPRIZE with a $111 million prize pool. The competition targets reversing functional aging in cognitive, immunological, and muscular capacities for individuals aged 60–80. As of May 2025, 620 teams were competing, with the top 40 teams receiving $10 million in awards.

Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel have invested in unnamed longevity startups, focusing on exploring ways to "rejuvenate human cells" and extend healthy lifetimes, as per industry reports. Additionally, Life Biosciences, a company that has raised $82 million in Series C funding, is working on partial epigenetic reprogramming via Yamanaka factors (Oct-4, Sox-2, Klf-4). The company's lead candidate, ER-100 gene therapy for optic neuropathies, is set to enter human trials in late 2025. Furthermore, AI-driven startups, like the one that raised $16 million in October 2024 for AI cell simulation, are also making strides in life extension research.

Trends in the life extension research space include increased funding for epigenetic reprogramming, AI-driven drug discovery, and large-scale competitions to hasten breakthroughs. However, challenges remain in striking a balance between effectiveness and safety, as demonstrated by Bryan Johnson's failed rapamycin experiment.

1. Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook genius, is not only the Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos in investing in life extension research, but also promotes science and health-and-wellness advancements that promise an extended human lifespan.
2. Peter Thiel, a Forbes' Top 130 worldwide billionaire and co-founder of PayPal, is immersed in the pursuit of immortality, funding multiple longevity studies and planning to be reprogrammed via cryogenic freezing at Alcor.
3. In the realm of business and technology, the valley is witnessing innovation in health-and-wellness and aging through investments in reprogramming human cells, as seen inJeff Bezos and Peter Thiel's unnamed longevity startups.
4. The finance industry, as exemplified by entrepreneurs like Bryan Johnson, is invested in promoting health-and-wellness solutions that extend lifespan, with Johnson's extreme anti-aging regimen involving ingesting over 100 pills daily and experimental transfusions from his teenage son's plasma.
5. Science and technology are at the forefront of life extension research, with competitions like the Healthspan XPRIZE, which offers a $111 million prize pool, aiming to reverse functional aging and extend healthy lifetimes through technology and epigenetic reprogramming.
6. The quest for immortality among tech billionaires is not merely personal; it's an ideological pursuit that encompasses promoting health-and-wellness, finance, business, and technology in an attempt to conquer the inevitability of aging and death.

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