Bryan Johnson’s journey from selling mobile phones to creating brain-computer interfaces and exploring anti-ageing techniques highlights his relentless drive for innovation and improvement. Through companies such as Braintree, OS Fund and Kernel, Bryan Johnson has continued to push the boundaries of technology.
However, his most intriguing project is Project Blueprint, a bold attempt to defy ageing through rigorous biohacking methods. From calorie restriction and supplements to controversial plasma transfusions, Bryan Johnson’s quest for longevity defies the limits of science and medicine. As he continues to explore the frontiers of human potential, Bryan Johnson’s work promises to reshape our understanding of ageing and human capacity.
The first businesses and the beginnings of entrepreneurship
Bryan Johnson’s entrepreneurial spirit was evident from an early age: between 1999 and 2003, he launched three businesses. His first business was selling mobile phones, which helped finance his studies at Brigham Young University. Bryan Johnson hired students to sell service plans and mobile phones, earning around $300 commission per sale.
Johnson’s next two ventures were Inquist, a VoIP company combining features of Vonage and Skype, and a $70 million real estate venture with his brother. Although these projects failed to meet their sales targets, Bryan Johnson was not discouraged.
Braintree: Revolutionising payment systems
In 2007, Bryan Johnson founded Braintree, a company specialising in mobile and web payment systems for e-commerce. Braintree quickly made a name for itself, ranking 47th on Inc. magazine’s 2011 list of the 500 fastest growing companies. In 2012, Braintree acquired Venmo, an application that facilitates electronic money transfers between users, for $26.2 million.
By 2013, Braintree was processing $12 billion worth of payments a year, including $4 billion on mobile. This success attracted PayPal, which bought Braintree for $800 million in September 2013. The sale left Johnson with more than $300 million, propelling him into new ventures.
OS Funds: Investing in the future
In October 2014, Bryan Johnson announced the creation of the OS Fund, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage science and technology companies. He backed the fund with $100 million of its capital, to support innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.
Recently, the fund has turned its attention to Web 3.0 start-ups, claiming that;
“OS Venture invests in early-stage startups and web 3.0 infrastructure projects. We identify projects with innovative ideas for today’s blockchain problems and work with them from ideation to strategy and market adoption” – OS Ventures
osventure.com
Kernel: Linking the brain and technology
Bryan Johnson’s most ambitious project to date is Kernel, founded in 2016 with a $100 million investment from Johnson himself. Kernel’s mission is to create devices that monitor and record brain activity, potentially transforming our understanding of the human brain.
In 2020, Kernel unveiled helmet-like devices capable of measuring the brain’s electrical and haemodynamic signals. These devices hold promise for studying Alzheimer’s disease, ageing, concussion, meditation states and stroke. They could also help paralysed people to communicate and provide new therapies for mental health problems.
Project Blueprint: The quest for longevity
In addition to his technology activities, Bryan Johnson has made a name for himself with his controversial anti-ageing initiative, Project Blueprint, launched on 13 October 2021. Bryan Johnson claims to have improved various biomarkers through practices such as calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, taking numerous supplements and medications, maintaining a strict sleep schedule and performing frequent diagnostic tests.
One of the most controversial aspects of Project Blueprint involved Johnson receiving a series of six monthly transfusions of one litre of plasma, with his son acting as donor for one session. Johnson has since stopped this practice due to the lack of observed benefits, a position supported by the FDA, which has warned against such procedures.
Despite the scepticism of some experts, Johnson is sticking to his lifestyle and rigorous diet in a bid to extend his life. Critics such as Moshe Szyf, professor of pharmacology at McGill University, and Andrew Steele, a scientist specialising in longevity, argue that genetics play a greater role in determining life expectancy than Johnson’s methods can influence.
Conclusion
Bryan Johnson’s journey from selling mobile phones to creating brain-computer interfaces and exploring anti-ageing techniques underlines his unwavering drive for innovation and improvement. Through Braintree, OS Fund, Kernel and Project Blueprint, Bryan Johnson continues to push the boundaries of what technology and science can achieve, inspiring others to think boldly and pursue transformative ideas.
