millionaire Bryan Johnson treats himself to plasma transfusions with his 18-year-old son to rejuvenate

He spent more than 2 million dollars to look younger: at 47, Bryan Johnson dreams of experiencing the “Benjamin Button” effect. The American multimillionaire who has dedicated his life and fortune to his quest to reverse aging is ready for anything, as told in the documentary “Don’t die» («Don’t die», in French) broadcast on Netflix since 1^is January.

Among the many treatments he is experimenting with to carry out his “Blue Print project”, the anti-aging “health program” he created, the entrepreneur reveals that he engages in plasma transfusions in particular. In a particularly striking sequence, the founder of Braintree even reveals himself during a family session with his father, Richard Johnson, and his son Talmage, 18, the eldest of his three children.

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“Sewing yourself to a younger human being”

“Some treatments actually reverse age, such as transfusing the blood plasma of young subjects,” confirms Dr. Steve Horvath, Professor of Biostatistics and Genetics at the University of California Los Angeles, in the Netflix film. “This rejuvenation was observed following an experiment during which researchers linked a young mouse to an old mouse. They literally connected the arteries and veins of the two mice to create a blood transfer,” he explains. “We then realize that by circulating in the veins of the aged mouse, the young plasma reduces the epigenetic age of several organs. One of the studies demonstrated a 50% reduction in a rat. Another more recent one demonstrated a decline of 30% in several mice.

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Obviously, the one who describes himself as a “laboratory rat” wanted to try the experiment. “The first option with regard to plasma was to sew me into a younger human being! But it wasn’t very practical,” jokes Bryan Johnson, “so we eliminated that option. We preferred to carry out a plasma transfer.

“Multigenerational transfer”

And not just any plasma, since the businessman decides to make it a family activity. “One day my father called me in a panic. He told me: “I will do anything to maintain my mental acuity.” I said, “Dad, I’m having plasma injected right now. Other people are doing it to fight Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. So if you’re interested, you can come with me to Texas and I’d be happy to give you a liter of my plasma”, continues this longevity obsessive. “I had difficulty planning at first, but Bryan told me that it was a nice gesture, that it was a service rendered to a loved one, that we were investing in the health of others in him offering a little of ours,” confides Richard Johnson, his father, in turn.

A third person from the family is then added to the process. “I said to Talmage: ‘Papi is super hot.’ We talk and I end up asking him: “And if you did it too? You give me your plasma and I give mine to Grandpa. It will be a multigenerational transfer. What do you think?” And he said ‘yes’ to me straight away,” jubilant Bryan Johnson.

A “vampire” and his “blood minions”

When this family plasma donation is relayed in the media in 2023, it shocks Internet users, who describe their initiative as “satanic”, “crazy” or “disgusting”. Richard Johnson reports that he and his descendants were called “vampires”, “bloodsuckers”, “blood minions” or even “demons” at the time.

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“The plasma story always creates unease when you hear it for the first time. But Bryan is not the first,” reveals American journalist Ashlee Vance, who was interested in Blue Print from the very beginning of its creation. “Several years ago, there were rumors about Peter Thil, an entrepreneur, one of the first investors in Facebook, who allegedly injected himself with the blood of a healthy young person. I’m not sure that’s true. But that’s what we were saying,” he explains, emphasizing the exclusive and confidential nature of this method. “If Silicon Valley entrepreneurs did indeed perform transfusions, they did not want it to be known, whereas Bryan, true to himself, took complete responsibility. He paraded on Twitter, he organized photo shoots… I admit that it was somewhat absurd to see Bryan bring his whole family together, as if they were going to attend a match together while they were going to exchange plasma. »

A “link that comes to fruition”

The documentary shows the trio flying towards Dallas, to undergo this transfusion from grandfather to grandson, in front of the camera. In the clinic where the intervention takes place, Bryan Johnson notably praises Talmage’s “beautiful plasma” and the “immaculate color” of the adolescent’s substance from which he will benefit. In a video posted to his own Instagram account in early January, he himself admitted that it was one of the “weirdest things” he had done for his health. “I took a liter of my son’s plasma and gave a liter of my plasma to my father,” he says.

“What people don’t understand is that our exchange transcended the treatment,” defends Richard Johnson in the Netflix report, evoking a strong “symbolism”, beyond the scientific experience. “It’s our bond that’s coming to fruition,” he says. “When you engage with another person to the extent of voluntarily sharing their biology, the level of intimacy is unbeatable. Being able to experience this with Bryan and Talmage, for me it was a real reconciliation,” rejoices the man who had lost contact with his family following his break with the Mormon church.

The sequence ends after the transfusion, capturing a moment where the three men hug each other emotionally. “It is one of the most precious experiences of our lives. We healed multigenerational wounds and it brought us enormously closer. The benefits of the treatment come later,” concludes Bryan Johnson.