Want to Stay Youthful? Peter Diamandis Suggests Just Focus on Making it Through the Next Decade

Peter Diamandis, a futurist with degrees from MIT and Harvard, has spent the last 20 years promoting a vision of an “abundant future” powered by exponential technologies aimed at extending human life. As the founder of ventures like the XPRIZE Foundation and Singularity University, he’s also built strong connections with influential business leaders, including Elon Musk.

Supporters embrace his data-driven optimism, crediting technology with lifting billions out of poverty and raising global living standards—and they buy his books. Critics, however, say his techno-utopian outlook ignores deepening inequality, particularly in the U.S., where the top 10% hold over two-thirds of the nation’s wealth while the bottom half owns less than 4%.

Regardless of opinions on Diamandis, many find him a fascinating figure. So when we had the chance to discuss abundance and longevity with him—including his thoughts on Bryan Johnson, a former acquaintance trying to reverse aging—we took it. (Diamandis, now 63, claims to be “biologically 39.”)

You can listen to the full interview here; selected excerpts, edited for length, are below.

You recently tweeted, “We’re so close to longevity escape velocity that I urge you to remember that your sole responsibility right now is to avoid dying from something stupid.” What prompted that?

I believe we’re entering a revolution in healthspan, driven largely by breakthroughs in AI, computing, sensors, single-cell sequencing, and cell-based therapies. These technologies are converging to help us understand aging—how to slow, stop, or even reverse it. There’s a concept called longevity escape velocity, which means that science is getting close to extending our lives by more than one year for every year we live. Right now, we’re adding about 3–4 months of life expectancy per year, but once we cross that tipping point, aging could essentially become optional—if you stay healthy enough to reach it. Researchers like Aubrey de Grey and Ray Kurzweil introduced the idea, and I’ve been deeply involved in exploring and investing in it. The expectation is that we’ll hit this point within the next 10 years for those who are reasonably healthy and financially stable. So the key right now is simply: don’t die from something preventable before we get there.

What do you mean by “reasonable means”? Many people are worried about inequality in healthcare access. Is longevity something only the wealthy can pursue?

Are you asking if only the rich can live longer? I don’t think so. In fact, the most powerful longevity tools available right now are free. Diet is a huge factor—what we eat affects everything. Sugar, in particular, is toxic at modern consumption levels. Two centuries ago, people ate about two pounds of sugar a year; now it’s closer to 60 pounds. That excess contributes to inflammation, heart disease, and cognitive decline. Sleep is another critical piece. Getting 7–8 hours of good-quality sleep, including deep and REM sleep, is essential for preventing neurodegenerative diseases. Exercise, too—it’s the number one thing you can do for longevity. I lift weights five times a week to preserve muscle mass, which is vital. And then there’s mindset: studies show that optimists live around 15% longer than pessimists. So when people claim longevity is only for the wealthy, I push back. It’s really for anyone who’s willing to take it seriously and make smart choices:

There’s another level of longevity tools that come with a financial cost—things like medications and supplements. I personally take a large number of them daily, though I’ve built up to that gradually. Then there’s advanced diagnostic testing aimed at detecting diseases early, which can cost anywhere from $500 to $50,000 depending on how comprehensive it is.

Another major development in longevity science is epigenetic reprogramming. While our DNA remains constant throughout life—from birth to old age—what changes is gene expression, which genes are switched on or off in different tissues over time. This gene control system is what we’re now learning to manipulate. The exciting frontier is whether we can reset these controls to restore a more youthful state. I’ve invested in companies working in this space. In the early stages, when the risks are high and results uncertain, billionaires tend to be the early adopters. But as the science matures—and it’s moving fast—costs will drop, and these therapies could become widely accessible within a few years.

Is there a company you’ve invested in that reflects your approach to longevity?

Yes. Over the past 30 years, through the XPRIZE Foundation, we’ve launched $600 million in prizes, which has led to $10 billion in R&D. About a year and a half ago, I raised $157 million to launch the Healthspan XPRIZE. Of that, $111 million is prize money, and the rest supports operations and testing. The goal is to show measurable reversal of aging in people aged 60 to 80—restoring cognitive function, immune response, and muscle strength to levels seen 20 years earlier. We’ve had around 620 teams enter the competition, and by 2030, we’ll award the full prize. This May, we’re awarding $10 million to the top 40 teams—each getting $250,000. With so many teams and diverse methods, I’m really excited about the possibilities.

How does your longevity philosophy differ from Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint project?

I’ve known Bryan for a decade. After he sold Braintree and moved to L.A., I introduced him to the longevity space through Human Longevity Inc., which I co-founded. He invested in the company and served on the board, but we eventually went separate ways.

Bryan is focused on n=1 experimentation—testing everything on himself. I think it’s great that he’s doing that; he’s a kind of trailblazer. That said, I personally wouldn’t publicize things like my nighttime erections the way he does, though it certainly garners media attention.

My approach is much broader. Through the XPRIZE, we’re running a large-scale, scientifically rigorous competition involving hundreds of teams worldwide. Each team must meet strict testing standards and show statistically significant results in real populations. It’s a systemic, data-driven effort to explore and validate a wide range of longevity solutions.

You can hear more from Diamandis in the full interview, including his connections with Elon Musk, the health-scanning company he co-founded with Tony Robbins, and how he handles potential conflicts of interest.

Read the original article on: TechCrunch

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