FIVE WAYS THE SUPER-RICH PURSUE LONGEVITY

STEM-CELL INJECTIONS

Silicon Valley author and entrepreneur Dave Asprey (49), who launched Bulletproof Coffee which is enriched with coconut oil and butter, has reportedly spent $2 million (R30m) “hacking his own biology” in his quest to live to the age of 180. Some of the treatments he’s undergone include injecting stem cells (apparently to switch off inflammation and therefore ageing) into all parts of his body, including his penis. He also likes to bathe in an infrared light and takes a barrage of supplements every day.

YOUNG BLOOD

Parabiosis, which involves having plasma transfusions from a younger person, was first experimented with in the 1950s. It was criticised in 2019 for lack of clinical benefit but start-ups have recently reinvestigated the idea. PayPal’s Peter Thiel (54) is said to be among those interested, though whether he has tried it is unconfirmed.

THE BIG FREEZE

Socialite Paris Hilton (41) is rumoured to have signed up for cryonics – along with her beloved dogs. The process involves deep-freezing the body in the hope that future scientific advances will allow her to be brought back to life.

O2 HAVE A BLAST

When Justin Bieber (28) posted a picture of himself in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, fans were baffled. Each tube-like chamber is pumped with pure oxygen, causing the levels in the bloodstream to increase. The treatment is said to help heal burns, relieve infections and anxiety, and even boost longevity.

THE BRAIN DRAIN

Tech entrepreneur Sam Altman put down a $10 000 (R150 000) deposit in a bid to have his brain uploaded to a computer. Nectome, a start-up based in San Francisco, hopes to eventually offer a way of preserving memories using a process called aldehyde-stabilised cryopreservation.