The Expense of Longevity

I recently saw an article about a longevity clinic in New York that charges a $250,000 annual member ship fee. You can check out the article here: https://nypost.com/2025/03/10/health/nycs-extension-health-longevity-clinic-to-launch-250k-membership/

It got me thinking about the wide gap between the haves and have-nots when it comes to healthcare in general, but specifically when it comes to expensive new longevity focused treatments. On one level it makes me mad. But, on another, I’m thinking maybe it’s a good idea to let the ultra-rich go first.

It’s no secret that the ultra-rich are obsessed with living longer. Tech moguls, hedge fund titans, and startup billionaires are pouring their fortunes into longevity research, seeking to extend their lifespans indefinitely. From young blood transfusions to gene therapies, from AI-driven diagnostics to cellular reprogramming, they’re diving headfirst into experimental interventions that most of us can’t afford—or even access.

And honestly? Let them.

Let the billionaires risk their lives (and fortunes) in the pursuit of immortality. Let them be the guinea pigs for radical life-extension therapies that may or may not work. If they die trying, well… that’s the cost of ambition. But if they succeed? The rest of us stand to benefit more than most people realize.

The Billionaire Beta Test

History has a funny way of repeating itself. Nearly every major medical breakthrough—antibiotics, vaccines, organ transplants—was once experimental, expensive, and only available to the elite. In the early 20th century, even something as basic as penicillin was rare and costly. But as time passed, these innovations trickled down to the rest of us.

Longevity science is no different. Right now, billionaires are funding and testing cutting-edge therapies like:

• Plasma dilution – replacing old blood plasma with fresh albumin to rejuvenate cells
• Senolytics – drugs that clear out zombie cells linked to aging
• mRNA and gene therapy – using genetic modifications to slow or reverse aging processes
• Epigenetic reprogramming – resetting cells to a younger biological state
• AI-driven health optimization – personalized longevity strategies based on real-time biometrics

Some of these interventions might turn out to be useless—or even dangerous. But when the ultra-wealthy play human lab rats, we get to watch and learn. If something works, prices eventually drop, mass production kicks in, and regulatory approval makes it accessible to more people. If something fails spectacularly? Well, better them than us.

Trickle-Down Immortality

The more billionaires chase longevity, the faster the field advances. Their money funds research, their bodies serve as test subjects, and their egos drive competition between biotech companies. Over time, longevity tech follows the same pattern as every other industry:

1. Elite exclusivity – Only the wealthiest can afford it.
2. Early adoption – A wider but still small group starts using it.
3. Mainstream access – Costs drop, competition rises, and suddenly, it’s everywhere.

Take sequencing your DNA, for example. In 2003, sequencing a full human genome cost nearly $3 billion. Today, you can get your DNA analyzed for under $100. The same pattern is likely to happen with longevity treatments—what’s an elite privilege today becomes tomorrow’s routine healthcare.

What If They Actually Live Forever?

Of course, the elephant in the room is: what if the billionaires don’t die? What if they crack the code and live for centuries while the rest of us age and wither away?

That’s a real possibility, and it raises some serious ethical and societal questions. Would the ultra-rich hoard life-extension tech and create a society of immortal overlords? Would we end up with a ruling class of Methuselahs and a disposable working class that ages normally?

It’s a dystopian scenario, but history suggests that technological progress rarely stays locked up. Even if a handful of billionaires initially monopolize longevity treatments, they won’t be able to hold onto them forever. Markets demand expansion, competitors drive innovation, and governments step in to regulate. The moment one billionaire starts selling an age-reversing therapy, the race to mass-produce it begins.

The Takeaway

So, should we resent the billionaires for their longevity obsession? Or should we cheer them on?

Maybe a little of both. Their access to cutting-edge science is unfair, but their willingness to take risks benefits all of us in the long run. They’ll either push humanity closer to radical life extension or serve as cautionary tales for what not to do.

Either way, we win.

So let the billionaires die—or live forever. Their gamble is our gain. What do you think?