The quest of tech moguls to decipher aging and live longer

These days, a significant topic among global leaders is the concept of living beyond a hundred years.

Recently, Chinese and Russian dignitaries engaged in discussions about humans potentially achieving lifespans of 150 years within this century.

However, it isn't only political figures intrigued by rejuvenation. Influential figures from Silicon Valley have long leveraged their finances to defy the inevitability of death, hoping to elongate their earthly journey.

Innovators like Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, and Sam Altman are channeling funds into enterprises aiming to reverse the aging process at a cellular scale. Others, like Sergey Brin and Sean Parker, direct their resources toward addressing age-linked disorders such as cancer and Parkinson's. Meanwhile, figures like Bryan Johnson focus on exhaustive approaches involving nutrition, fitness, and wellness to hit the pause button on aging.

Here’s a look at eight of the wealthiest tech tycoons channeling their fortunes into efforts to extend human longevity.

Sam Altman’s venture into life-extension endeavors

Sam Altman has committed $180 million to Retro Biosciences, a startup with ambitions to lengthen healthy human lives by ten years.

According to Retro's CEO, Joe Betts-LaCroix, they're defying conventional biotech norms by not solely concentrating on a single focus or approach in the early stages.

With a fortune valued at $2.1 billion by Forbes, largely due to ChatGPT's breakthroughs, Altman believes a disruptive 'OpenAI-like' initiative is essential in longevity studies.

His personal regimen for anti-aging includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and metformin, a popular diabetes drug among Silicon Valley biohackers for its potential anti-aging effects.

Peter Thiel’s extensive investment in longevity research

An early investment from Thiel went to Unity Biotechnology, which aims to develop therapies targeting aging cells. Since 2006, he pledged millions to the Methuselah Foundation, supporting regenerative medicine for anti-aging.

Thiel is also associated with Alcor Life Extension Foundation, committed to cryonics—preserving human bodies at low temperatures to prevent aging. His foundation and venture capital firm, Founders Fund, back several biotech companies.

In a 2012 interview, Thiel remarked that societal acceptance of death as a natural process is a notion he finds fundamentally flawed.

Larry Ellison's longstanding fight against mortality

Ellison once expressed his bewilderment about death, questioning how an individual's presence can just cease.

In 1997, he inaugurated the Ellison Medical Foundation to support research on aging and its connections to lifespan developments and age-related health issues.

Though new funding stopped in 2013, the foundation allocated 80% of its $430 million in grants towards this cause. Ellison also extended his philanthropy to other health initiatives, like a $200 million donation to a USC cancer center.

Larry Page’s ambitious foray into anti-aging

The 2013 launch of Calico Labs by Larry Page marked Google's entry into studying aging and crafting treatments for disorders that come with age.

In 2014, Calico partnered with AbbVie, a pharmaceutical giant, investing billions to explore therapies for age-associated conditions. This entity is seen as paving the way for initiatives like Jeff Bezos-backed Altos Labs.

Yet by 2020, Calico’s co-founder, Bill Maris, vocalized his dissatisfaction over the company’s limited tangible achievements.

Sergey Brin’s genetic drive toward longevity

In 2008, Brin publicly acknowledged possessing a genetic anomaly that heightens his Parkinson's susceptibility, motivating his billion-dollar investment into disease research.

Brin has spearheaded life-extending endeavors, such as Calico Labs, and in 2015, he announced the creation of Verily Life Sciences from Google’s Life Sciences team.

Mark Zuckerberg’s focus on the science of life longevity

Zuckerberg, alongside Priscilla Chan, is part of the elite circle that introduced the Breakthrough Prize, awarding $3 million in fields like life sciences, and backing neurodegenerative cure research.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, established in 2016, pledged substantial resources to combat infectious ailments, with Zuckerberg envisioning centenarian longevity as a commonality by the century's close.

His lifestyle further includes an active exercise regimen featuring martial arts and CrossFit.

Jeff Bezos’s recent endeavors in reversing aging

Bezos has engaged with Altos Labs, a venture aimed at rejuvenating cellular health to counteract life-affecting diseases and injuries.

Beyond investments, Bezos passionately maintains a vigorous fitness routine, involving resistance exercises with trainer Wes Okerson, coupled with outdoor activities.

Bryan Johnson’s radical approach to aging reversal

Johnson employs an extensive regimen to halt aging signs; guided by a rejuvenation specialist, Dr. Oliver Zolman, he adheres to a daily ritual beginning at 5 am with specific supplements.

He adheres to a vegan diet totaling roughly 1,977 calories, observing noticeable age regression results: a seemingly younger heart, skin, and pulmonary health.

Remarkably, in 2021, Johnson reportedly reversed his biological age by over five years.