American Millionaire's Blueprint for Longevity

Bryan Johnson, subject of the documentary Don't Die: The Man Who Wants To Live Forever, says Singaporean Chuando Tan's agelessness shows what biology is capable of

- Alison de Souza

Imagine spending millions of dollars on a public quest to become more youthful, only to face cruel comments about your resulting appearance. Some people say you now look worse, and a few compare you unfavourably with Chuando Tan, the Singaporean photographer who went viral for his age-defying looks, even though he is a decade older.

This is the reality for Bryan Johnson, the 47-year-old American entrepreneur who, in 2021, embarked on a controversial one-man experiment to extend his longevity and reverse any age-related decline.

But his response to the backlash has been to take the high road, engage with critics and respond graciously to even the most savage detractors.

And he acknowledges that Tan, 58, appears to have found the fountain of youth with a much simpler lifestyle.

Johnson displays this disarming attitude in recent podcast interviews, as well as a new documentary, Don't Die: The Man Who Wants To Live Forever, now streaming on Netflix.

If sensational headlines such as "Millionaire spends US$2 million a year to live forever" suggest an eccentric vanity project, the film adds nuance and humanises the man, who comes across as earnest, curious and humble enough to admit when some experiments go wrong.

Johnson's programme, which he calls Blueprint, entails a rigorous diet, exercise and lifestyle regimen, as well as taking dozens of supplements and injections, including a novel gene therapy to boost muscle mass.