Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Bryan Johnson said he decided to stop taking a drug he believed would help him live longer, rapamycin, after a series of concerning side effects.
His reversal is the latest sign that the longevity craze among wealthy tech figures can move much faster than science.
What happened?
The 48-year-old added rapamycin — a drug designed to suppress the immune system and prevent organ rejection in transplant cases — to his highly publicized Blueprint routine in 2019, trying different doses and timing schedules over the years, Scientific American reported. He ended that experiment in September 2024.
Scientific American reported that Johnson associated the drug with recurring skin infections, elevated glucose levels, abnormal blood lipids, and a faster resting heart rate. In a post on X, Johnson wrote: "With no other underlying causes identified, we suspected Rapamycin, and since dosage adjustments had no effect, we decided to discontinue it entirely."
His decision fits into a broader pattern in Silicon Valley's longevity scene, where influencers and executives publicly test supplements, peptides, injections, and other interventions before strong clinical evidence exists. Some of those products later fall out of favor.
Scientific American also reported that in March, entrepreneur Tim Ferriss and venture capitalist Kevin Rose used a podcast to caution listeners about supplements with 1,3-butanediol, with Ferriss saying: "Treat it like ethanol," and "like you're drinking moonshine and you wouldn't want to do that every day."
TCD Picks » EDF Spotlight
💡EDF's Vital Signs newsletter delivers stories about game-changing solutions close to home and around the world
Why does it matter?
Health advice shared by famous people can spread far beyond the ultra-rich. When influencers post biomarker charts, dosing schedules, and claims about "biological age," it can make unproven treatments look safer and more established than they actually are.
A drug being available, or even prescribed off-label, is not the same as it being proven to slow human aging.
Scientific American noted that the Food and Drug Administration has also warned against so-called "young plasma" infusions, another anti-aging treatment that has circulated in elite wellness circles.
Faye Mythen, founder of Reborne Longevity in London, called the trend a "shadow phase two" problem. "You have all of these tech founders and famous people with lots of funds running shadow experimentations on themselves, and then it goes straight to the population," she said.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
There is also a financial angle. Some longevity influencers sell supplements themselves, which can blur the line between personal experimentation and marketing.
What's being done?
Scientists who study aging are not dismissing longevity research altogether. Many say some interventions could eventually prove useful for improving lifespan or healthspan, the years people live without major chronic disease. But they want that work to happen through controlled human trials, not on social media.
Legitimate studies, including formal trials exploring whether existing drugs can delay age-related disease, are designed to answer those questions more safely.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
