Bryan Johnson's bloodless experiment to 'live forever': What is behind the billionaire biohacker's plasma purge?

Economic Times

17-05-2025

In a bold new twist on his quest for eternal youth, longevity crusader Bryan Johnson has undergone a full plasma replacement, swapping his own blood component for purified albumin. Following an earlier transfusion from his teenage son, Johnson says the procedure felt 'inconsequential'—but promises to track its effects. The self-experimenting tech mogul continues pushing boundaries, stirring both awe and skepticism online.
Tech millionaire and anti-ageing maverick Bryan Johnson has stunned the internet again—this time by removing all the plasma from his body and replacing it with albumin. Calling it 'V2' of his infamous 'blood boy' experiment, Johnson insists it's all part of his scientific blueprint to defy ageing.
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From 'Blood Boy' to Biohacking V2
Does It Actually Do Anything?
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The Internet Reacts: Shock, Sarcasm, and Support
Living Forever: Science or Spectacle?
In the ever-evolving circus of biohacking and longevity science Bryan Johnson has once again taken center stage—this time, by quite literally draining the life out of himself. The 46-year-old tech entrepreneur and anti-ageing enthusiast recently posted a startling update on his Instagram: he has had all of the plasma in his body removed and replaced with albumin, a major protein component of blood plasma. If that sounds like the plot of a sci-fi film, that's because it practically is.'I removed all the plasma from my body,' Johnson said casually in the video, 'and the doctor said it's the cleanest she's ever seen.' To the average person, this might sound extreme—possibly even alarming—but for Johnson, it's just another day in his quest to outsmart death.This isn't Johnson's first foray into radical transfusion territory. In a previous experiment dubbed the 'blood boy' procedure, he received a plasma transfusion from his teenage son. Now, with this latest endeavor, he calls it 'V2'—version two of his biological reset.In a follow-up video, Johnson explained the logic behind the procedure. The human body, he says, has a natural ability to clear waste, but it struggles with the onslaught of modern-day toxins. The solution? Strip away all plasma and reboot with albumin. Despite the sci-fi horror vibes this might conjure, Johnson insists it was a non-event: 'Nothing, really. I felt the same, went to bed, slept the same.'Whether it works or not is still up for scientific scrutiny. Johnson claims his team is rigorously tracking dozens of biomarkers to measure the experiment's impact on his longevity. 'We'll see a before and after and then make an assessment,' he explained. While most of us are fine with green smoothies and gym memberships, Johnson's approach to ageing is more surgical, experimental—and certainly headline-worthy.But the central question remains: is this cutting-edge science or just a very expensive midlife crisis?As expected, social media lit up. One user joked, 'Bro is giving so much free data and results.' Another offered a more measured take: 'If people could avoid feeling threatened by the extreme nature of his actions, they'd actually see the value his discoveries (could) have for global longevity.'But perhaps the most poignant comment came from someone comparing Johnson's obsession with youth to the quiet wisdom of their centenarian grandmother: 'She enjoyed life, stayed active, and looked fabulous all the way to 100.'Still, many users agreed on one point—whatever you think of him, Bryan Johnson is voluntarily turning himself into a human guinea pig , possibly paving the way for future breakthroughs in how we age, live, and maybe even live forever.With each bizarre biohack, Johnson blurs the line between medical advancement and performance art. But while his methods are extreme, his mission remains surprisingly relatable: to extend life, enhance vitality, and understand the limits of the human body.Whether history remembers Bryan Johnson as a pioneer of longevity or simply the man who drained his blood to cheat death, one thing is clear—he's not ageing quietly.