In the last 100 years, advances in medicine have been adding two years to the average life expectancy every decade. But apparently, for many people, this is not enough. There are attempts to accelerate life expectancy especially among the rich and powerful. Here are some of the world’s wealthiest who have taken up the battle:

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has spent $430 million on anti-aging research and spent $200 million on his cancer institute at the University of Southern California. He has often been quoted as saying “death never made any sense to me.” In 2014 Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page announced a $1.5 billion research center. They launched Calico, a life-extension company focusing on genetic research and the development of pharmaceuticals targeting diseases associated with old age. In 2016 Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and other investors gave $116 million to Unity Biotechnology, whose aim is “targeting cellular mechanisms at the root of age-related diseases.” Entrepreneur Dave Asprey, the creator of Bulletproof Coffee, takes about 150 supplements a day to delay cognitive decline. Asprey believes he will live to be 180. His various pioneering treatments on himself have cost him at least $1 million so far.

Source:

Paul Tullis, “Are You Rich Enough To Live Forever? Immortality is one luxury the world's wealthiest are determined to buy—at any cost.” Town & Country (May 2017)