Netflix Chronicles One Man’s Fight to Live…Forever

⏱️ 20 min read             

Some people see and want a world where aging isn't inevitable and science and discipline hold the key to living forever. One such person is Bryan Johnson, a tech entrepreneur pushing the boundaries of human longevity. 

In Netflix's riveting documentary Don't Die, launched in January of 2025, Johnson's radical health regimen is about extending life and redefining how we live. 

Bryan is a strong believer in his vision, his quest for immortality, and the cultural shift he's championing. He intends to prove his skeptics wrong.

Welcome to That's Life, I Swear. This podcast is about life's happenings in this world that conjure up such words as intriguing, frightening, life-changing, inspiring, and more. I'm Rick Barron your host. 

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In an age where most accept mortality as an unchangeable fact of existence, one man stands apart with a radical vision. Bryan Johnson, featured in Netflix's January 2025 release "Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever," has embarked on an extraordinary mission to challenge humanity's oldest nemesis: death itself.

This 46-year-old tech mogul has transformed his life into a grand scientific experiment, investing $4 million into what he calls "Blueprint" – an elaborate system designed to wage war against the aging process. Under this regimen, Bryan's existence is orchestrated by a team of medical professionals who analyze data to craft precise protocols for extending his lifespan.

The Netflix documentary unveils his daily routines, including perhaps his most striking ritual: consuming 111 supplements daily. In his worldview, seemingly innocent indulgences like savoring a sweet treat or skimping on sleep aren't mere lifestyle choices – they're acts of aggression against one's own mortality.

While extreme, Bryan's mission against aging isn't unique in the realm of wealthy tech pioneers. Other billionaires like Amazon's Jeff Bezos and investor Peter Thiel have poured resources into Unity Biotechnology, a venture focused on combating age-related ailments. The sports world has also embraced various youth-preserving technologies, such as specialized sleep gear.

Bryan's approach stands out for its totalitarian control over every bodily function. Speaking to TIME magazine in September 2023, he declared this pursuit "the most significant revolution in the history of Homo sapiens." Unlike others who merely seek to slow aging's march, his ambition is more absolute: he views death not as inevitable but as an optional fate he intends to decline.

What sets Bryan apart isn't just his anti-aging regimen – it's his complete surrender to an algorithm designed to optimize his existence, transforming his body into a laboratory for longevity science. In his world, death isn't a certainty – it's a challenge to be overcome.

By surrendering control to his scientific protocols, Bryan aims to silence what he terms the "rascal mind" - our innate desires that lead to life's everyday pleasures, whether it's indulging in a late-night dessert, engaging in spontaneous intimacy, or sharing drinks with companions. His mission? To reverse time within his body, targeting the ambitious goal of restoring his 46-year-old physiology to match that of an 18-year-old.

According to the metrics gathered by his medical team, Bryan's "Blueprint" system appears to be indicating positive results: his skeletal body structure reportedly mirrors that of a 30-year-old. In contrast, his cardiovascular system functions as if he were 37. These outcomes validate his conviction that algorithmic body management surpasses human intuition. As he puts it, this revelation is fundamentally "reframing what it means to be human."

Meet Kate Tolo, Blueprint's pioneering female participant. At 27, this former fashion industry strategist from Australia now serves as Bryan's chief marketing officer and has become his most devoted follower. By becoming the second person to adopt the Blueprint system, she now bears the nickname "Blueprint XX".

Tolo's path to Bryan began in 2016 during her New York fashion career, as artificial intelligence emerged as a transformative force. After encountering his vision of human-AI fusion in a technology newsletter, she felt compelled to join his mission, believing AI integration was crucial for humanity's evolution. Her persistence paid off when she eventually landed as Bryan's assistant at Kernel, a company founded by Bryan. 

Before fully committing to Blueprint, she negotiated a month-long trial period. This initial phase meant adhering to strict protocols: precise sleep schedules, following an exact nutritional plan, consuming over 60 daily supplements and completing a specific exercise regimen combining 13 minutes of high-intensity training with 39 minutes of moderate activity.

As Blueprint XX, Tolo said good-bye to what she describes as life's cherished small pleasures. She and Bryan view themselves as modern-day progenitors of a new human era - so much so that they contemplated an Eden-themed photo series to symbolize "a revolution on the scale of the whole human race."

As for Bryan himself, his appearance reflects his substantial investment in youth preservation. While maintaining the physique of someone decades younger, his face betrays the extensive interventions of costly age-reversal treatments. His complexion is eerily luminescent, which results from multiple laser procedures and complete body hair removal. Though he insists his head hair isn't dyed, he acknowledges using a special "gray-hair-reversal" treatment containing herbal extracts that maintain its deep brown color.

Bryan's quest for the "ideal state" manifests in an intricate daily choreography of over one hundred precise interventions, as revealed in the Netflix documentary "Don't Die." His unconventional schedule defies typical routines - consuming multiple pounds of vegetables daily, taking his final meal at 11 a.m., dedicating an hour to physical training, and retiring precisely at 8:30 p.m.

Each morning unfolds like a scientific procedure. The day begins with a sophisticated weigh-in using advanced technology that measures multiple body metrics through electrical impedance - from essential weight and BMI to more complex measurements like hydration levels, fat composition, and pulse wave velocity.

The morning ritual continues with a carefully orchestrated sequence: exposure to a specialized light therapy device for several minutes to regulate his circadian rhythm, followed by inner-ear temperature monitoring to track subtle bodily changes. His initial nutritional intervention consists of ferritin supplementation for iron enhancement, complemented by vitamin C.

Bryan's skincare regimen rivals that of a high-end spa but with a futuristic twist. After cleansing, he applies anti-aging formulations and a five-minute session with a dual-spectrum light therapy mask. This device cleanses his face in precisely calibrated red and blue wavelengths - the former stimulating collagen production, the latter targeting potential skin imperfections.

The morning protocol continues with a precisely calibrated sequence: medicated eye drops to address his pre-cataract condition, followed by an innovative nerve stimulation technique - a small vibrating instrument applied to his nasal region that promotes natural tear production. Then comes the moment for his signature concoction, the "Green Giant." This isn't your typical smoothie but a precise formulated blend of nutrients consumed between rounds of supplements, its dark emerald hue matching its ambitious purpose.

His physical conditioning begins with specialized grip-strength exercises before transitioning to his private fitness sanctuary - a space transformed by floor-to-ceiling forest imagery. Here, he conducts his daily hour-long training session. While he can impressively leg-press 800 pounds, his routine mirrors what you might see from any dedicated fitness enthusiast: a calculated mix of resistance training, core work, and flexibility exercises. This regimen runs seven days without exception, with additional high-intensity sessions three times weekly. During these intense workouts, he occasionally dons specialized equipment to measure his oxygen utilization efficiency (VO2 max) - a metric he proudly notes places him among the top 1.5% of 18-year-olds.

Post-exercise, he transitions to his first nutritional intake of the day - deliberately avoiding traditional meal labels like "breakfast" or "lunch" in favor of numerical designations. This "first meal" consists of steamed vegetables and lentils, processed into a uniform consistency resembling the color of marine mammal hide.

For Bryan, these elaborate protocols transcend mere physical enhancement or cosmetic preservation. "The common perception is that death is unavoidable, and we're simply trying to extend our remaining time," he explains. He positions his efforts within a broader historical context, suggesting that humanity stands at an unprecedented juncture - the first moment in our species' existence where, as he puts it, we can seriously contemplate the possibility that death might not be inevitable.

The scientific community has challenged Bryan's bold claims of conquering mortality.
 
Dr. Pinchas Cohen, who leads the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at USC, offers a fundamental counterpoint: mortality is encoded in our genetic makeup, not an optional feature of human existence. While he acknowledges humanity's impressive gains in longevity - noting how average life expectancy surged from 50 to over 80 years during the twentieth century - he draws a clear line between extending life and achieving immortality. "Current scientific understanding and technology offer no pathway to immortality, nor any indication that such a possibility lies on the horizon," Cohen maintains.

Even more pointed criticism comes from Dr. Eric Verdin, who runs the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. His skepticism extends beyond Bryan's immortality aspirations to question the very foundation of his claimed age-reversal achievements.

What particularly troubles Verdin is the methodology behind Bryan's results. "Despite claims of transparency, there's a concerning lack of scientific rigor in how these age assessments are being conducted," Verdin notes. He reveals an illuminating detail: they encountered silence when the Buck Institute extended an invitation for collaborative research. This reluctance to engage with established scientific institutions raises red flags for Verdin, who emphasizes that scientific credibility demands peer scrutiny: "If he's serious about validating his approach, he needs to open himself to rigorous scientific challenge and review."

While age reversal research has gained some scientific traction - notably at Harvard Medical School, where researchers report success in rejuvenating aged mice and are exploring similar possibilities with human cells - such work adheres to rigorous scientific protocols. Bryan's approach starkly contrasts: he's transformed into a walking laboratory, simultaneously implementing countless anti-aging interventions without scientific controls.

The medical community's concerns extend beyond skepticism about Bryan's immortality claims to fundamental worries about his current health status. A particularly revealing moment occurred at the Academy for Health & Lifespan Research's annual retreat in May of 2024, where
Dr. Nir Barzilai, who directs the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, met Bryan. What Barzilai and his colleagues observed alarmed them: "His appearance raised immediate medical concerns - the pallor, the facial alterations, and most worryingly, his extremely low body fat, which serves crucial physiological functions," Barzilai recounts. "The consensus among the medical professionals present was unanimous - his physical condition appeared concerning."

Dr. Barzilai's apprehension deepens when considering Bryan's massive daily supplement intake. "The sheer number of simultaneous interventions poses significant risks due to potential interactions between compounds," he explains. He contrasted this with standard medical research methodology, which carefully studies individual treatments in isolation to understand their effects. "Combining over a hundred different substances without understanding their interactions isn't just unprecedented - it's potentially dangerous."

While Bryan maintains privacy around his medical team, declining to make them available for interviews or share details about their credentials, he's actively commercializing his Blueprint system. The program is now accessible through Amazon. Bryan has embraced radical transparency in other areas - publishing intimate biological metrics online, from cardiac data to dental measurements, even sharing internal imagery captured by intestinal cameras.

His digital presence has exploded, with YouTube content featuring his exercise protocols and experimental treatments drawing millions of viewers. According to Tolo, their newsletter attracted approximately 180,000 subscribers in their first five months.

Blueprint's initial venture into retail is a premium olive oil marketed with bold claims about cholesterol reduction. The product's packaging reflects Bryan's futuristic aesthetic - a black box featuring his portrait bathed in red light and the manifesto-like slogan "Build your autonomous self." This isn't just another health product - it constitutes 15% of his daily nutritional intake. Despite its premium pricing of $75 for two 25-ounce bottles, Tolo reports that strong demand has depleted their inventory.

"Artificial intelligence," he observes, "represents the most transformative development in this corner of the galaxy." The question, then, becomes: What should humanity's response to AI look like? In light of the coming AI upheaval, Bryan suggests that entrusting algorithms to manage our bodies marks the ultimate form of human-AI collaboration. If algorithms are set to revolutionize industries like marketing, legal research, and retail, he argues, why not allow them to optimize our physical selves as well? This shift toward bodily automation is an evolutionary step for Bryan, preparing humanity for the inevitable AI-driven future.

But what happens if you achieve immortality? Would living forever mean outlasting everyone you've ever known? If so, why?

Bryan compares this existential dilemma to the bittersweet farewell of "senior night" in high school. "We part ways after years of shared experiences, knowing we may never cross paths again," he reflects. "Throughout life, we continually face transitions—leaving old relationships behind and stepping into new chapters. 

Bryan's life wasn't always this way. He grew up in a small Mormon community in Utah, where his grandfather ran a horse farm. Alongside his four siblings, Bryan spent much of his childhood outdoors, helping with the family's harvest of alfalfa and corn. He later served a Mormon mission in Ecuador before pursuing higher education at Brigham Young University and earning an MBA from the University of Chicago. Bryan married, had three children, and, in 2007, launched Braintree, a payment-processing startup. In 2012, Braintree acquired Venmo, and the following year, the two companies were sold to PayPal in a deal worth approximately $800 million. Bryan's share of the sale exceeded $300 million.

However, financial success didn't shield him from inner turmoil. Starting in 2004, he endured a decade-long battle with depression. The pressures of running a growing company while raising three young kids overwhelmed him. Therapy and medication offered little relief, and his mental health struggles were compounded by a weight gain of 50 pounds, leaving him very depressed.

Following the sale of Braintree, Bryan made significant changes in his life. He ended his marriage, stepped away from the Mormon faith, and, in 2014, funneled $100 million into launching the OS Fund. This venture capital fund focuses on companies transforming what Bryan calls the "programmable physical world," using AI and machine learning to pioneer breakthroughs in therapeutics, diagnostics, and synthetic biology.

Bryan established Kernel, a neurotechnology company that developed a cutting-edge helmet to measure brain activity. The primary aim is to identify cognitive impairments in their earliest stages, while the company also explores biomarkers for psychiatric conditions. As an added perk, the technology can even estimate the age of Bryan's brain—a unique side hobby he enjoys.  

"We all want to see tomorrow happen," Bryan explains. "And we all want to live and be our best selves." His vision is less about abstract ideas of technological breakthroughs and more about tangible, immediate improvements. For Bryan, it's about living as your best self in the present and using that foundation to build a better future.

If you're intrigued by this approach to health and self-improvement, take some time to check out the Netflix documentary featuring Bryan's journey. It offers a perspective on what it truly means to be healthy. Don't miss it—life's too short to wait for tomorrow. 

What can we learn from this story? What's the takeaway?

What if you do live forever? That means you'd outlive everybody you'd ever known on the planet. You'd watch your children and grandchildren and all your friends die before you. What would that be like? Is a life without the people you love worth living?

Well, there you go, my friends; that's life, I swear

For further information regarding the material covered in this episode, I invite you to visit my website, which you can find on Apple Podcasts for show notes and the episode transcript.

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