Aging and death are inevitable aspects of life. Well, at least for most people. But not for American tech multimillionaire Bryan Johnson, who spends $2 million annually trying to reverse aging—or at least slow it by 25 percent. That’s the subject of the documentary Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, now streaming on Netflix.
The film offers a glimpse into the daily life of this 47-year-old, who claims to live (and look) like an average 18-year-old. Johnson wakes up every morning at 4:30 AM, turns on a bathroom light that simulates sunlight, takes three pills, measures his body temperature, and begins a hormone therapy session to stimulate his nervous system.
Then comes his first meal—a blended black vegetable drink that looks like something you'd only consume in a life-threatening situation—along with the first 30 pills of the day. By the end of the day, he will have taken around 100 pills and supplements in total.
His last meal is at 11:30 AM, meaning he fasts for the rest of the day until bedtime at 8:30 PM.
His precisely defined routine includes a daily intake of 1,977 calories, one hour of exercise, and three high-intensity workouts per week. And if this all sounds extreme—just wait.
High-Risk Experiments
“There’s no one else in the world who is 45 chronologically but whose organs are functioning like they’re 35,” said Dr. Oliver Zolman to Bloomberg. Zolman, an anti-aging researcher from the University of Cambridge, has been studying medical literature and longevity protocols with Johnson, using him as both subject and financier for his experiments. Zolman leads a 30-person medical team that subjects Johnson to dozens of procedures—many of them extreme, risky, and painful—while results are tracked via constant bloodwork, MRI scans, ultrasounds, and colonoscopies.
Most of the drugs have not been approved for official use in humans through clinical trials.
Take, for instance, the experimental drug rapamycin, which the FDA has only approved for organ transplant patients. Nevertheless, it's increasingly praised in the "longevity lexicon," including by other public figures. Originally developed as an immunosuppressant to prevent transplant rejection, rapamycin has attracted attention for its potential as an anti-aging treatment.
It works by inhibiting mTOR, a protein complex involved in cell growth and regeneration. While mTOR is vital during youth, overactivity later in life is linked to accelerated aging and age-related diseases. By inhibiting mTOR, rapamycin could potentially slow these processes. Johnson takes ten tablets of rapamycin daily.
Then there's plasma transfusion, a nearly routine practice among "Silicon Valley guys," though it's seldom spoken about. While some rely on so-called "blood boys" as donors, Johnson uses blood from his son—while also donating his own plasma to his father. The result? His 70-year-old father reportedly reduced his biological age to 46.
Perhaps his most extreme experiment took place in September 2023, when Johnson traveled to Roatán, a private island in Honduras, for a gene therapy using follistatin. This therapy employs plasmids—small DNA molecules that don’t alter chromosomal material—to increase muscle mass, slow aging, and lengthen telomeres. Johnson claims on his website that this could be the key to surpassing the human age limit of 120.
The treatment was developed by Minicircle, a company that touts follistatin as one of the most promising life-extension therapies. The price? Just $25,000—far less than other gene therapies that cost millions. Still, the lack of peer-reviewed clinical data has scientists concerned about the risks of unregulated experimentation. “This therapy was designed so anyone in the world could access it,” said Walter Patterson, Minicircle’s co-founder and chief scientific officer, to Bloomberg.
Dr. Vadim Gladyshev and Dr. Andrew Steele both appear in the documentary, stating that due to the sheer number of treatments Johnson is undergoing, it’s impossible to determine which ones are actually effective.
Dr. Steele also shares an anecdote: Johnson blocked him on Twitter after he suggested that the millionaire invest in legitimate scientific research. While both doctors acknowledge Johnson's potential to contribute to the field, they argue that his current methods offer little meaningful scientific insight.
Medical Concerns
Dr. Niko Mihic, Real Madrid’s medical advisor and co-founder of the Football Doctors organization, echoed similar concerns during an interview with Bloomberg Adria TV recently.
He noted that Johnson's level of dedication might indicate obsessive-compulsive disorder and warned that the liver can typically metabolize only about five pills per day. Mihic didn’t deny that with a 30-person medical team, certain processes can be controlled—but the question remains: which of these methods is truly the most effective?
“It’s still too early to say whether Johnson’s protocols actually work,” Mihic said.
Drawing on his experience with professional athletes, Mihic added that specific protocols can allow them to compete longer into their careers. He pointed to Novak Djokovic and Luka Modrić, who both outperform expectations for their age, and Tom Brady, who set records by retiring at 44.
Mihic also emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in prevention. “By creating a kind of avatar of professional athletes—a digital athlete—we can predict their weak points and thus prevent injuries by creating personalized protocols,” he said. He believes AI's role in diagnostics and prevention will only grow in the future.
The Man Who Declared War on Aging
Following his strict regimen, Johnson claims he’s reduced his aging rate to 0.64—meaning he ages only seven and a half months for every year that passes.
Johnson also reveals that before he began his journey to biological youth, he was in bad shape. He suffered from severe depression for a decade—despite his wealth.
The documentary is directed by Chris Smith, known for controversial figures in works like Tiger King, Fyre, and Bad Vegan. In Don’t Die, Smith chronicles Johnson’s evolution from a typical American teen to a tech millionaire who lets an algorithm run his health, encouraging others to do the same.
Johnson grew up in a Mormon household focused on family values and served as a missionary. After college and a series of jobs, he struck gold with Braintree—a company enabling online payments founded in 2007, just as e-commerce took off.
In 2012, Braintree acquired Venmo and continued growing until eBay (then PayPal) bought the company in 2013 for $800 million. Johnson walked away with $400 million in cash—and says he played video games for seven hours straight to celebrate.
His transformation began, he says, when he realized his "algorithm" could protect him better than his own brain.
“I felt hopeless. By 7 PM I’d overeat or eat the wrong things. I was overweight. That version of me has been fired. That Bryan no longer has authority. The new Bryan is here.”
As he pursued organ rejuvenation under algorithmic guidance, Johnson also parted ways with his wife, his church, and two of his children. His third child, son Talmage, later joined him and appears in much of the film.
Most People Find His Lifestyle Unrealistic—and Unattainable
Especially given the $2 million annual price tag. But if we set aside the experiments, the light and oxygen therapies only the ultra-rich can afford, the team of doctors monitoring his biomarkers, and the brain-scanning technology Kernel (another company Johnson founded)—the core benefits of his regime come down to sleep, diet, and exercise.
He insists the core principle is simple and universal: “Avoid self-destructive behavior. We all have a voice in our head that overthinks and thinks poorly.”
Those are habits within reach for most people, at least to some degree.
Dr. Mihic agrees, saying there are foundational rules anyone can follow to improve quality of life and slow aging:
- Don’t smoke
- Watch what you consume—food, medications, substances
- Get enough sleep and rest
- Exercise—five times a week is the recommendation
- Nurture harmonious family relationships
- Live in the present, not the future
- Bring art into your life—beauty in your environment helps
- Set a three-year plan—learn a hobby, a new language, or an instrument
- Listen to your doctor
Dr Mihic believes the next major breakthrough in longevity will be early detection of cognitive disorders. “We can now detect cognitive syndrome up to ten years before it manifests.”
He also believes that relying on “normal” lab values is outdated—what matters now is optimizing those values. “A normal iron or B-vitamin level isn’t the same for a 20-year-old and a 90-year-old. We don’t just want normal—we want optimal, regardless of how healthy someone appears.”
Among other important trends, Mihic lists new radiology techniques and next-generation psychedelic treatments.
A Gauntlet Thrown in the Face of the Medical System
Johnson’s ambition goes far beyond following protocols. After all, there are many other influencers who have branded and promoted their own fitness and health routines (in Bryan’s case, the brand is called Blueprint, and the routine, as we’ve seen, is extreme).
Although many in the supply chain profit from the recommendations in his protocols (for example, the supplements he uses are chronically sold out), and he himself profits through a range of branded products, Bryan is aiming for something much bigger.
Johnson believes that any goal can be achieved — if the protocols are tested and proven to be effective.
“If that’s the case, could we, as a society, move in that direction? This is about driving societal change,” he says.
Johnson argues that the current healthcare system is so fundamentally flawed that the only real solution is to build a new one. He bases this view on the idea that we’re treating symptoms instead of root causes — and that a complete paradigm shift is needed.
The film, through the voices of other scientists as well, throws a gauntlet in the face of established medical protocols, essentially asking: what are you doing?
Participants in the documentary say that Johnson’s approach could spark a revolution in the evolution of the human species.
“It’s hard to imagine life without medical discoveries. Just two lifetimes ago, we didn’t even have access to anesthetics or antibiotics. Looking ahead, we could soon reach a time when two teenagers talk about how strange it is that people used to get sick and die,” says one scientist.
For Johnson, Don’t Die is more than a personal philosophy. It is a political, economic, moral, social, ethical, and even religious issue. He sees it as an ideology capable of driving systemic change — rooted in scientific principles and powered by artificial intelligence.
And he’s no longer alone in that.
By the end of the film, we’re greeted by communities of supporters who have embraced his philosophy, inspired by the belief that death is optional.
From all corners of the world, they echo the same message: “Don’t Die.”
An idea that has made Johnson even wealthier — and just might make him immortal.
If not physically, then at least by defying the very premise of mortality.