In Search of a Long Life

As the super-rich go to ever wilder lengths to prolong their lives, some supercentenarians weigh in and reveal the secret to growing (very) old gracefully

- By Joe Shute

Olive oil, chocolate, the occasional cigarette and an after-dinner port: these were said to be the secrets that allowed Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment to live to the ripe old age of 122, claiming her place as the oldest human in history.

She also swore by a “puff of powder” to preserve her youthful looks.

When she died in 1997, she had lived through 25 US presidents, six British monarchs, survived both World Wars and met the artist Vincent van Gogh.

One imagines that if Jeanne were still alive today, she might raise a coiffed eyebrow at the attempts of the super-rich to catch up with her.

Discovering the elixir of life has become the latest preoccupation of Silicon Valley billionaires who, in their desire to live forever, are increasingly delving into the realms of science fiction.

They’re pursuing so-called “bio-hacks”, including stem-cell injections, cryogenic freezing, even “young blood transfusions”, where plasma from teens and early 20-somethings is pumped into the bodies of older people.

One tech entrepreneur has paid a deposit to have his brain uploaded to a computer (see box on page 87).