US billionaire who spent $2M a year on anti-aging says he may have gone too far

Bryan Johnson, the American billionaire who has spent $2 million a year on his anti-aging regimen, said his longevity experiment may have gone too far.

According to the Guardian and the New York Post, Johnson wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account that he had been reflecting and wondered whether he had taken the pursuit of longevity too far. The remarks came after he publicly disclosed a diagnosis of an autoimmune disease for which there is no cure.

Johnson was diagnosed in May with a condition in which his immune system attacks the cells lining the stomach, destroying the cells that produce stomach acid. Known as autoimmune gastritis, the disease blocks iron absorption and can cause anemia; if chronic inflammation persists, it can also raise the risk of stomach cancer. At the time, Johnson said, "My stomach is eating itself."

Johnson noted that once autoimmune gastritis is detected, doctors say little can be done beyond managing the condition. He said he is conducting research to identify through blood tests the immune cells that attack the stomach lining.

Despite being diagnosed with a condition linked to diet, he has maintained his existing diet and continues to avoid beer, pizza and doughnuts.

"People don't understand that I don't want to eat a doughnut or pizza or drink beer," he told the Guardian. "Isn't a reward supposed to be a reward? My reward is feeling my best."

Johnson's diet does not exceed 2,250 calories a day. He eats only between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. and finishes his last meal at least four hours before bed. His bedtime is 8:30 p.m.

"The greatest joy of my day is that I'm not depressed," Johnson said. "Even with so much criticism from the world and so much hatred directed at me, I feel good, I'm having fun and I enjoy life."

On his work, he said, "Rejuvenation is my sport. I do it like an athlete — it's my discipline and my profession."

Johnson sold the payment-processing company he founded in 2013 for $800 million and has since pursued anti-aging under the banner "Don't Die," spending $2 million a year on the effort. In 2023, he drew worldwide attention by undergoing a blood transfusion from his teenage son.