When Sam Altman isn’t busy running OpenAI, he’s orchestrating an elaborate campaign against his own mortality. The 37-year-old tech CEO has transformed longevity from a casual interest into a full-scale personal mission, complete with pharmaceutical interventions, dietary restrictions, and a $180 million bet on a startup working to extend human lifespan by a decade.
Altman’s investment in Retro Biosciences isn’t just financial diversification. It’s a declaration of intent. The company aims to “add 10 years to healthy human lifespan” through autophagy and cellular reprogramming-inspired therapeutics.
Their first target is an anti-aging medication that Harvard Medical Lab research suggests may reverse aging in mice. Experts predict the treatment could reach human markets by 2028.
The company, which recently pursued a funding round with a $5 billion valuation according to sources, positions itself boldly. One fundraising deck proclaimed that “longevity will be the greatest pharma market of all time,” projecting the startup’s potential market value could eventually approach tech giants like Alphabet and Microsoft.
But Altman isn’t passively waiting for breakthrough therapeutics to emerge from his investment. He’s implementing an aggressive personal protocol that resembles a science experiment with a sample size of one.
At the center of Altman’s regimen sits Metformin, a diabetes medication that has caught the attention of longevity researchers. According to MIT Technology Review, taking Metformin is an important component of his anti-aging strategy. The d**g, traditionally used to treat type 2 diabetes, has generated excitement after one study found people with diabetes taking Metformin actually lived longer than people without diabetes.
The medication works by lowering glucose levels, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and reducing hallmarks of aging. Preliminary studies suggest it may slow aging and increase life expectancy, which explains why it’s currently the subject of ongoing clinical trials focused specifically on anti-aging properties. Cancer researchers have also taken notice.
“I rarely eat breakfast, so I get about 15 hours of fasting most days (except an espresso when I wake up),” Altman shared on his blog. The intermittent fasting approach offers potential benefits including fat loss, reduced inflammation, and protection against age-related disease.
That morning espresso serves a dual purpose. Beyond the obvious caffeine boost, it may help suppress appetite. Research indicates caffeine consumed between half an hour to four hours before a meal might help reduce food intake.
The coffee consumption continues throughout the day. “I have one big shot of espresso immediately when I wake up and one after lunch,” he wrote. “I assume this is about 200mg total of caffeine per day. I will have more coffee if I’m super tired and really need to get something done.”
His caffeine habit likely provides anti-inflammatory benefits. Coffee contains polyphenols that can help lower inflammation. Regular consumption is linked to lower inflammatory markers in the blood and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, gout, heart disease, and certain cancers.
“I’m vegetarian and have been since I was a kid,” Altman noted. The plant-based diet reduces saturated fats and increases fiber intake, though it requires careful attention to avoid nutritional gaps. Altman supplements with methyl B12, omega-3, iron, vitamin D3, and protein shakes.
“I also go out of my way to drink a lot of protein shakes, which I hate and wouldn’t do if I weren’t vegetarian,” he admitted.
Sugar represents his dietary nemesis. “Eating lots of sugar is the thing that makes me feel the worst,” Altman wrote. “I don’t have much willpower when it comes to sweet things, so I mostly just try to keep junk food out of the house.”
He also avoids foods that aggravate digestion or increase inflammation, including very spicy foods, though his reasoning on spice may need reconsideration. Cleveland Clinic notes that capsaicin, an active component in chili peppers, can actually help combat low-grade inflammation in the gut.
Where other tech executives let fitness slide, Altman maintains a structured exercise routine. He lifts heavy weights three times weekly and occasionally incorporates high-intensity interval training. “This is the exercise program that makes me feel the best overall,” he noted.
The routine represents a more sustainable approach than his earlier extreme fitness challenges. A 2016 New Yorker profile described how Altman would set ambitious annual physical goals like completing a one hundred-mile bike ride each week or performing fifty consecutive pull-ups.
“Sleep seems to be the most important physical factor in productivity for me,” Altman emphasized on his blog. He uses the Emfit QS+Active sleep tracker to monitor and optimize his rest. His preferred sleeping environment is cold, dark, and quiet, with a high-quality mattress.
“I resisted spending a bunch of money on a great mattress for years, which was stupid. It makes a huge difference to my sleep quality,” he wrote, recommending the Tempur-Pedic Contour Elite. When room temperature becomes an issue, he relies on ChiliSleep, a system designed to cool the body regardless of ambient temperature. The device is effective but loud, so he positions the cooler unit outside his bedroom.
For travel, eye masks and ear plugs become essential tools. When insomnia persists despite these measures, he turns to low-dose sleeping pills or very low doses of cannabis. “I am a bad sleeper in general, and a particularly bad sleeper when I travel,” he explained. “It likely has tradeoffs, but so does not sleeping well.”
Following advice similar to neuroscientist Andrew Huberman’s protocols, Altman exposes himself to bright light early each day. “I use a full spectrum LED light most mornings for about 10 to 15 minutes while I catch up on email,” he wrote. “It’s a ridiculous gain for me. If you try nothing else in here, this is the thing I’d try.”
Quarterly blood tests over the course of a year revealed Altman’s deficiencies in methyl B12, omega-3, iron, and vitamin D3. The discovery allowed him to implement targeted supplementation. “I now retest every year and a half or so,” he says.
Blood testing enables a personalized health approach that becomes increasingly important with age. Beyond tracking vitamins and minerals, men typically experience a 1 percent annual testosterone decline after age 30. Maintaining optimal testosterone levels can prevent cardiovascular disease and improve heart health.
Altman joins a growing cohort of wealthy tech figures investing heavily in longevity research. Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg have similarly poured resources into anti-aging ventures, treating mortality as another engineering problem awaiting a solution.
Retro Biosciences represents Altman’s largest stake in this space. The company is working on epigenetic editing, cell replacement therapies, and other approaches to generate younger, healthier cells in aging tissues.
