Billionaire biohacker Bryan Johnson, 48, who has spent millions on anti-ageing treatments including blood plasma transfusions from his son, has revealed he has an incurable autoimmune disease. The American entrepreneur disclosed on social media that he has autoimmune gastritis (AIG), a chronic condition where the stomach lining is attacked by the body's own antibodies.
Diagnosis and symptoms
In a lengthy post on X, Johnson shared two pieces of bad news: he has an autoimmune disease, and 2–5% of people may have it, possibly more because it often goes undetected. He described the condition as his stomach eating itself. Johnson was diagnosed in May 2026 after overhauling his medical team for a $1 million-per-year longevity scheme called Immortals Care.
Johnson explained that he had hypothyroidism since age 21, which he managed for nearly three decades. However, signs of another issue emerged. A bi-directional endoscopy and stomach biopsy confirmed AIG, revealing a weakened stomach lining and elevated anti-parietal-cell antibodies. He noted that low ferritin levels for 11 years went unexplained despite dietary efforts.
Impact and risks
According to the Global Autoimmune Institute, 0.5%–4.5% of adults worldwide have autoimmune gastritis. The condition can cause irreversible damage, including nutritional deficiencies, anaemia, and an elevated risk of cancer over time. Johnson stated that his colonoscopy came back clear, ruling out colon cancer, but the stomach biopsy confirmed the autoimmune disease.
Johnson remains optimistic, asserting he and his team will monitor the condition and seek a cure. He criticized modern medicine for normalizing conditions without attempting cures, writing: 'In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins, and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today's stack.'
Background on Johnson's anti-ageing regimen
Johnson, founder and former CEO of Kernel, spends roughly $2 million per year on anti-ageing protocols. His Project Blueprint includes taking 54 supplements daily, eating between 6am and 11:30am, a strict vegan diet of about 1,977 calories, and going to bed at 8:30pm. He undergoes regular MRIs and ultrasounds overseen by around 30 physicians. In 2023, he received six monthly one-litre plasma transfusions, one from his son.
While some aspects of his lifestyle are scientifically supported—consistent sleep, exercise, stress management—experts have criticized his more experimental therapies as lacking scientific backing. Johnson's diagnosis underscores that even extreme health interventions cannot prevent all diseases.
