Bryan Johnson Net Worth (2026): How the Braintree Founder Built a $400 Million Fortune—Then Bet It All on Living Forever
Bryan Johnson Net Worth Overview
Bryan Johnson’s net worth stands at approximately $400 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, making him one of the wealthiest figures in the biohacking movement. This fortune traces primarily to a single transaction: the 2013 sale of his payment company Braintree to PayPal for $800 million, from which Johnson personally walked away with an estimated $300 million after taxes.
What sets Johnson apart from other tech entrepreneurs isn’t the size of his exit—it’s what he’s done since. Rather than compounding his wealth through conventional investments, he’s systematically deploying capital into ventures most would consider speculative at best: neuroscience research, deep tech startups, and most notably, a personal anti-aging protocol that costs $2 million annually. Among the health guru net worth rankings, Johnson occupies a unique position as both subject and funder of longevity research.
Johnson himself estimates his current net worth at around $200 million—lower than external estimates because he accounts for reinvestments into non-revenue-generating projects. In a 2025 interview with Hampton, he noted he could have turned his exit into “$10 billion through conventional business ventures” but chose not to because “from the 25th century perspective, who cares?” His goal isn’t wealth accumulation—it’s being remembered in 500 years.
Who Is Bryan Johnson?
Bryan Johnson was born August 22, 1977, in Provo, Utah, the middle child of three brothers and a sister. His parents divorced during childhood, and he was raised primarily by his mother and stepfather, who owned a trucking company. The family’s Mormon faith shaped his early worldview—a framework he would later dramatically reject.
Johnson attended Brigham Young University for his undergraduate degree in business, funding his education by selling cell phones. He later earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, though his entrepreneurial instincts developed long before graduate school.
His first startup, Inquist, was a VoIP service provider that failed in 2001. The experience taught hard lessons about timing and market fit. When he founded Braintree six years later in 2007, Johnson had refined his approach: focus on merchant-side payment processing first, then expand to consumers. The strategy worked spectacularly.
The Transformation
Around his late thirties, Johnson experienced what he describes as a complete breakdown. Despite professional success, he was physically unhealthy, severely depressed, and contemplating suicide. This crisis led him to leave the LDS Church and eventually divorce his wife. Two of his children remain Mormon and don’t speak to him, according to the Netflix documentary. His son Talmage, now 18, left the church and moved to California to live with his father.
From this darkness emerged Johnson’s current mission. He concluded that the “conscious mind” was the problem—making choices that felt good but caused long-term harm. His solution was radical: surrender decision-making to data and algorithms. Project Blueprint, his comprehensive anti-aging protocol, became both personal practice and public philosophy.
How Bryan Johnson Makes Money
Johnson’s income sources differ significantly from typical wellness entrepreneurs. Unlike figures who monetize expertise through courses or speaking, Johnson’s primary wealth came from a single massive exit. His current ventures focus more on spending money than making it—with one notable exception. Understanding the biohacker monetization model he’s pioneered reveals a new approach to wellness commerce.
The Braintree Foundation
Everything traces back to Braintree. Founded in 2007 as an online and mobile payment processor, the company found product-market fit by serving fast-growing startups. By 2011, Braintree ranked 47th on Forbes’ list of 500 fastest-growing companies, with clients including Airbnb, Uber, and GitHub.
The strategic masterstroke came in 2012 when Braintree acquired Venmo for $26.2 million. This purchase gave Braintree the consumer-facing capability Johnson had always planned to add. By September 2013, Braintree was processing $12 billion annually. PayPal, recognizing an emerging threat to its dominance, acquired the company for $800 million shortly after.
Johnson’s stake as founder and largest shareholder yielded approximately $300 million after taxes. He was 36 years old.
Blueprint Products
The commercial arm of Project Blueprint now sells supplements, food products, and protocols through Amazon and direct channels. Key products include Blueprint Extra Virgin Olive Oil (“Snake Oil”), Blueprint Cocoa Powder, and the Longevity Mix supplement blend. The “Longevity Mix” retails for approximately $4,700, while “Super Shrooms” coffee alternative costs around $3,600.
In July 2025, The Hollywood Reporter noted that Johnson’s Blueprint products were available on Amazon with select items discounted for Prime Day. He takes 1.5 tablespoons of his olive oil daily with meals—and sells the exact same product to followers.
Despite the product line’s growth, Johnson has publicly expressed frustration with the business operations. He reportedly called Blueprint “a pain-in-the-ass company” and hinted at possibly selling or shutting it down to focus on philosophical interests over commercial concerns.
Venture Capital Returns
The OS Fund, Johnson’s venture capital firm, manages approximately $100 million of his personal capital invested in early-stage science and technology companies. Portfolio companies include Ginkgo Bioworks (synthetic biology), Atomwise (AI-powered drug discovery), Aria Pharmaceuticals, and Matternet (drone logistics network).
Returns from OS Fund investments contribute to Johnson’s ongoing financial position, though he’s stated that maximizing returns isn’t the primary objective. The fund backs “breakthrough technologies” in genetics, AI, and synthetic biology—areas Johnson believes will matter on century-long timescales.
Book Sales
Johnson has authored several books including “Don’t Die,” “Code 7: Cracking the Code for an Epic Life” (2017), “We the People,” and “The Proto Project: A Sci-Fi Adventure of the Mind” (2019). The children’s books in particular represent an attempt to shape how the next generation thinks about science and possibility. Royalties contribute modestly to his income streams.
Companies, Products, and Investments
Johnson’s business portfolio reflects his evolution from payment processing entrepreneur to longevity-focused founder. Comparing his approach to other biohackers and wellness founders reveals someone less interested in building recurring revenue than in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
Kernel
Founded in 2016, Kernel develops non-invasive neuroimaging technology—helmet-like devices capable of measuring hemodynamic and electrical signals from the brain. Johnson invested $64 million of his personal capital into the company and serves as founder and CEO.
Kernel’s devices enable research into Alzheimer’s disease, concussions, meditation, aging, and stroke recovery. The technology represents Johnson’s belief that understanding brain function is fundamental to extending healthy human life. Unlike Blueprint, Kernel pursues traditional venture-backed growth.
OS Fund
Launched in 2014, one year after the Braintree sale, OS Fund has invested in 28 portfolio companies working on transformative technologies. The thesis centers on backing companies that could reshape fundamental aspects of human existence—health, intelligence, sustainability.
Notable investments beyond those mentioned include companies working on gene editing, computational biology, and advanced materials. Johnson contributed $100 million of his own capital to the fund.
Project Blueprint
What began as a personal experiment has evolved into both a philosophy and a business. Project Blueprint encompasses Johnson’s comprehensive anti-aging regimen, which he documents publicly in exhaustive detail. The protocol includes over 100 daily interventions: specific exercise routines, a vegan diet of exactly 1,977 calories, 54 pills with his “Green Giant” morning concoction, 34 additional pills throughout the day, red light therapy, electromagnetic stimulation, audio therapy for hearing preservation, and strict 8:30 PM bedtime.
Johnson employs a team of 30+ doctors and staff to monitor his health continuously. He wakes at 5 AM, exercises for one hour (including three high-intensity sessions weekly), and eats his final meal before 11 AM. Every aspect is optimized for longevity metrics.
The commercial side sells protocols, supplements, and products—though Johnson’s ambivalence about the business suggests it exists primarily to spread the methodology rather than generate profit.
Don’t Die Philosophy
Beyond products, Johnson promotes “Don’t Die” as a movement and philosophy. The concept reframes humanity’s purpose around survival and long-term flourishing. Johnson argues this perspective will eventually rank “among humanity’s most important developments”—a claim that strikes many as grandiose but reflects his genuine belief system.
Media, Books, Shows, and Partnerships
Johnson’s media presence differs from typical wellness influencers. Rather than building a content empire, he’s become a documentary subject—someone whose life invites observation. His approach resembles Dave Asprey’s willingness to publicly experiment, though Johnson takes it further by documenting medical procedures in real-time.
Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever
The January 2025 Netflix documentary directed by Chris Smith (Tiger King, Fyre) brought Johnson’s lifestyle to mainstream audiences. The film earned 75% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 5.9/10. Metacritic assigned a score of 56 out of 100, indicating “mixed or average” reviews.
Smith initially connected with Johnson after seeing a viral headline about “a man spending $2 million a year to become 18 again.” What followed was 12 months of filming that captured Johnson’s daily routine, medical procedures, and personal relationships—including the emotionally charged moment when his son Talmage leaves for college.
The documentary sparked widespread conversation about aging, mortality, and the lengths wealth enables. NPR, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, and numerous outlets covered Johnson following the film’s release.
Media Coverage
Johnson’s practices have generated years of viral coverage. Bloomberg, TIME, Business Insider, and major outlets have profiled his anti-aging protocols. The attention serves Blueprint’s marketing—awareness drives product sales—though Johnson frames publicity as spreading the “Don’t Die” philosophy rather than building a business.
He has noted that 65 production companies approached him before Chris Smith secured the documentary deal. The interest reflects both fascination with his lifestyle and recognition that Johnson makes compelling content.
The Plasma Exchange Controversy
One viral moment involved a “multi-generational” plasma exchange where Talmage donated plasma to his father, who then donated to his own aging father. The procedure generated headlines and significant criticism from medical professionals who questioned both safety and scientific validity. Johnson defends such experiments as pushing the “outermost edge of possibility for the science.”
Similar to Peter Diamandis and Tim Ferriss, Johnson operates in the space between legitimate longevity science and self-experimentation that lacks controlled trial support.
Controversies and Criticisms
Johnson attracts intense criticism from multiple directions, making balanced assessment essential.
Scientific Validity Concerns
Medical experts featured in the Netflix documentary argue that Johnson’s approach lacks scientific rigor. Because he implements over 100 interventions simultaneously, it’s impossible to determine which—if any—actually work. This violates basic principles of experimental method, where variables must be isolated to establish causation.
Matt Kaeberlein, a geroscientist who appears in the documentary, noted concerns about the transferability of Johnson’s methods. What works for one wealthy individual with dedicated medical staff may not apply to—or even be safe for—the general public.
Mental Health Questions
Critics note that Johnson’s obsession with longevity emerged from a period of severe depression and suicidal ideation. Some suggest his current lifestyle represents a different manifestation of psychological issues rather than a resolution. The Netflix documentary notably avoids deep exploration of mental health beyond acknowledging Johnson’s past struggles.
Johnson addresses this criticism by acknowledging the importance of social connection and community—lessons he says he learned after his son left for college. Whether his current relationships are healthy remains a matter of perspective.
Commercial Conflicts
Selling supplements while positioning himself as an objective researcher creates inherent conflicts of interest. Johnson’s products are expensive—the Longevity Mix costs $4,700—and target an audience primed by his personal story. Critics argue this represents marketing dressed as science.
A former girlfriend sued Johnson with “humiliating public accusations,” adding personal controversy to the professional critiques. Details of that litigation featured briefly in media coverage surrounding the documentary.
The “Algorithm” Claim
Johnson’s assertion that he has “turned over his brain’s choices to an algorithm” strikes many as philosophically confused. As Roger Ebert’s review noted, choosing to follow an algorithm is itself a choice made by the conscious mind. The framing may be more marketing than meaningful.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bryan Johnson’s net worth in 2026?
Bryan Johnson’s net worth is estimated at approximately $400 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, though Johnson himself estimates closer to $200 million due to significant reinvestments in non-revenue-generating projects. The majority of his wealth came from selling Braintree to PayPal for $800 million in 2013.
How much does Bryan Johnson spend on anti-aging?
Bryan Johnson spends approximately $2 million per year on his Project Blueprint anti-aging regimen. This includes a team of 30+ doctors, continuous health monitoring, experimental treatments, gene therapy, and extensive daily protocols involving diet, exercise, and over 100 supplements and interventions.
What is Project Blueprint?
Project Blueprint is Bryan Johnson’s comprehensive anti-aging protocol and philosophy, launched in October 2021. It involves strict diet (1,977 vegan calories daily), intense exercise, 54 morning pills, 34 additional daily pills, various therapies, and an 8:30 PM bedtime. Johnson documents everything publicly and sells related products through Blueprint’s commercial arm.
What was Bryan Johnson’s company before Blueprint?
Bryan Johnson founded Braintree, an online and mobile payment processing company, in 2007. Braintree acquired Venmo in 2012 for $26.2 million and was then acquired by PayPal in 2013 for $800 million. Johnson also founded the OS Fund venture capital firm in 2014 and Kernel, a neurotechnology company, in 2016.
Is there a documentary about Bryan Johnson?
Yes, “Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever” is a 2025 Netflix documentary directed by Chris Smith (Tiger King, Fyre). The film follows Johnson’s anti-aging pursuits and personal life, earning 75% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. For those interested in executive wellness destinations, the documentary offers insight into the extreme end of health optimization.
Sources
- Celebrity Net Worth. “Bryan Johnson Net Worth.” October 15, 2024. celebritynetworth.com
- Netflix Tudum. “Who is Bryan Johnson? ‘Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever’ Doc Chronicles His Anti-Aging Routine.” July 8, 2025. netflix.com/tudum
- Hampton. “Bryan Johnson’s Net Worth is $300M. His Goal? Be Remembered in 500 Years.” March 4, 2025. joinhampton.com
- Rolling Stone. “‘Don’t Die’: Who Is Bryan Johnson, Millionaire in Netflix’s New Doc?” January 3, 2025. rollingstone.com
- NPR. “Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson discusses his quest to slow aging.” February 3, 2025. npr.org
- The Hollywood Reporter. “Bryan Johnson, Netflix’s ‘Don’t Die’ Subject, Sells Blueprint Protocol.” July 11, 2025. hollywoodreporter.com
- Roger Ebert. “Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever movie review (2025).” January 1, 2025. rogerebert.com
- Wikipedia. “Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever.” wikipedia.org