Are you dreaming of immortality? There’s a straightforward two-step strategy. First, amass billions in Silicon Valley. Second, invest those billions into unconventional longevity treatments and wait for the results.

This theory seems to circulate among some tech billionaires. Take Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, which is known for ChatGPT. He practices unique routines like staring at bright LED lights while texting in the morning, fasting for 15 hours daily, and taking metformin. This diabetes drug is thought to have potential anti-aging benefits but has rarely been tested on healthy individuals. (I asked ChatGPT, “Should I take metformin to live longer?” and it replied, “Simply put, it’s not a good idea.”)

Then there’s Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal. He disclosed his involvement in “parabiosis-related research,” a controversial effort utilizing young blood to rejuvenate old animals—and possibly humans in the future. When questioned, Thiel jokingly remarked “I’m not a vampire.”

Another player is Brian Johnson, who claims a net worth of around $200 million. Though not as wealthy as others, his extensive social media presence highlights everything from sauna “protocols” to unique gadgets for tracking health metrics. He espouses his “Blueprint” Protocol, which combines a strict diet, intense exercise, numerous supplements, and even gene therapy, claiming to have reversed his biological age and dubbed himself “the healthiest person on Earth.”

California’s wealthiest aren’t alone. LeBron James, a basketball billionaire, reportedly spends $1.5 million a year on health. His regimen includes sessions in a pressurized oxygen tank and cryotherapy at -160°C (-250°F).

The Kardashian family has also prioritized health with full-body MRI scans that claim to detect cancer and other conditions early on. However, these scans are not universally recommended at various medical institutions.

Russian billionaire Dmitry Itskov promotes the 2045 Initiative, a project focused on uploading human consciousness to a computer.

Then there’s 97-year-old billionaire Li Ka-shing, who swears by nicotinamide riboside, an anti-aging supplement. He has invested $25 million into its production company.

What do these various longevity protocols and their ultra-wealthy advocates share? Evidence suggests that no extravagant treatment will extend life significantly beyond the average lifespan.

Fortunately, the proven methods for longer life—such as quitting smoking, improving diet, exercising more, managing stress, and accessing quality healthcare—are accessible and cost-effective.

The real breakthroughs in life extension are unlikely to stem from billionaires experimenting with their bodies; rather, they will emerge from robust scientific research. Unfortunately, many of the wealthy fail to invest in this crucial area.

Follow the Money

To lay out the facts: rich individuals generally do live longer—research demonstrates that the wealthiest 1% in the U.S. live 10-15 years longer than the poorest 1%. This isn’t due to high-tech treatments but rather the basic lifestyle choices mentioned earlier.

Even unlimited financial resources can’t dramatically extend life using existing medical intelligence.

There are numerous intriguing anti-aging investigations exploring treatments for worms, flies, and mice, but these have not advanced to clinical trials for humans yet.

So, while Sam Altman may or may not benefit from metformin, solid proof is still absent.

Additionally, the benefits of metformin remain unclear, while some treatments adopted by “biohackers” might be actively harmful. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning in 2019 regarding the dangers of blood transfusions—including potential infections and severe allergic reactions.

Extreme dietary restrictions can lead to complications later, including weakened bones and decreased immunity.

The notorious “supplement stack” comprising random pills, powders, and experimental nutrients, does not enhance lifespan and can lead to contaminants, liver damage, and harmful side effects.

Moreover, combining numerous treatments may produce unexpected interactions, exacerbating individual symptoms despite each ingredient being harmless on its own.

A classic case in healthcare is the interaction of Viagra and specific heart medications, which can result in dangerously low blood pressure, potentially leading to fatalities.

Human biology is notably complex, and it’s easier to disrupt than to repair, much like it’s simpler to impair a car’s engine performance than to enhance it by changing just one component.

Understanding what genuinely works involves not just funds but also rigorous human clinical testing.

The Cost of Immortality

If you’re anxious that billionaires are secretly procuring immortality while the rest of us focus on gym memberships and balanced diets, consider this: most ultra-wealthy individuals aren’t operating under the assumption that groundbreaking anti-aging treatments are just around the corner.

Despite a few notable billionaires partaking in eccentric health practices, their behaviors often indicate disbelief in imminent longevity breakthroughs. For example, thousands of wealthy individuals don’t have more widely circulated stories of unusual longevity interventions.

High-profile figures like Elon Musk have expressed skepticism about the benefits of extended life, even stating, “I have no investment in longevity.” He mentioned in 2024 that a lengthy life could lead to societal stagnation, reinforcing fears regarding extreme longevity.

Even if the ultra-rich (excluding Elon) were secretly accumulating longevity remedies, it’s unlikely they would bypass serious investment in longevity research if they genuinely believed in its potential.

Hiding sizable investments is nearly impossible, given the spotlight on funding rounds for biotech startups and the necessity of recruiting outstanding scientists from within academia.

So just how many billionaires are investing in longevity science? One noteworthy venture is the Altos Research Institute, a notable startup focusing on rejuvenating cells. With initial funding of $3 billion, estimates suggest that it is partly backed by Jeff Bezos. Altos gained attention when it enlisted Nobel Prize-winning scientist Shinya Yamanaka, known for pioneering work in reprogramming adult cells into a stem cell-like state.

While $3 billion is substantial, it’s only a fraction of Bezos’s net worth of approximately $270 billion in 2026. If he believed that longevity science would grant immortality, one would expect a higher percentage of his wealth to be redirected toward it.

True Aging Remedy

The irony is that billionaires aiming for longevity would likely achieve better results by funding expansive scientific trials instead of personally dabbling in unproven treatments.

Currently, research on aging lacks adequate funding, receiving merely about 20 times less governmental support than cancer research, even though aging is a primary cause of many cancers.

Despite high-profile investments in firms like Altos Labs, aging research constitutes a minor aspect of overall biotech funding.

This is especially surprising since surveys suggest that many billionaires would willingly give away a substantial part of their fortunes for an additional decade of health. One study estimates that the combined wealth of the world’s billionaires is about $20 trillion.

Half of that total amounts to $10 trillion, potentially exceeding the historical investment in health research. Ultimately, if just a fraction of the world’s billionaires invested in longevity science, both they and average citizens could see healthier, longer lives.

That’s the critical insight: once developed, anti-aging treatments will not only reach the affluent.

Returning to Sam Altman’s metformin habit, it’s a generic drug costing only a few cents per tablet, rather than an exorbitantly priced elixir. The reason it isn’t readily available isn’t financial but rather due to the lack of substantial trials—estimated at around $45-70 million—to determine its legitimacy as an anti-aging treatment.

This lack of trials partly results from the drug’s low cost; no one stands to profit significantly from inexpensive, mass-produced medications.

If governmental bodies or a select group of philanthropic billionaires could allocate funds, even a one-off investment of tens of millions could potentially extend the healthy life spans of billions globally—including the billionaires backing the research.

A single billion dollars could support 10 to 20 trials on drugs like metformin. Other promising candidates include rapamycin, diabetes medications like acarbose and canagliflozin, and “senolytic” drugs that eliminate aging cells. It seems highly probable that at least one of these will enhance health and longevity.

The U.S. intervention testing program, which has identified and tested many of these drugs in rodents, operates on an annual budget that is merely double what Brian Johnson spends each year on health.

So, if you’re a billionaire or even a centibillionaire reading this, consider stepping away from extravagance and opening your checkbook to fund the science capable of helping millions—including yourself—enjoy longer, healthier lives.