Don’t Die: Netflix to Air Documentary on Plant-Based Millionaire Biohacker Bryan Johnson

Bryan Johnson, the biohacking millionaire living on a plant-forward diet, will be the centre of a new Netflix documentary covering his attempts to live past 200.

Netflix’s latest documentary chronicling the benefits of veganism dovetails with the life of one of the most divisive men on the planet.

The streamer will release Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever on New Year’s Day 2025, featuring Bryan Johnson, the tech-mogul-turned-body-hacker on a quest against ageing.

Johnson – who spends $2M a year on his longevity efforts – has spoken of his wish to live past 200, documenting his practices online and offering medical tests, supplements, workout guides, and recipe plans via his Blueprint brand.

The documentary, directed by Fyre and Tiger King filmmaker Chris Smith, deep-dives into the controversial biohacker’s path to his ultimate goal: “Don’t die.”

Why Bryan Johnson went vegan

A father of three, Johnson made his fortune with online payments platform Braintree, which had bought its competitor Venmo in 2012, before the whole entity was taken over by Paypal for $800M a year later.

But he has described spending years overeating, drinking too much, and dealing with a deep depression, before embarking on his longevity quest. His much-tinkered routine now involves waking up at 4:30AM, eating all his meals by 11AM, and going to bed by 8:30PM.

A key part of his efforts is his diet. The official Blueprint isn’t necessarily fully vegan, with small amounts of meat or animal-derived supplements included. It’s unclear whether Johnson himself takes collagen peptides – as some have suggested – but he revealed earlier this year that he adheres to a vegan diet.

“I had become a vegan, but there was one moment in particular where I went elk hunting, and I shot an elk,” he said in an Instagram video. “I walked up on it after I’d shot it… I saw this majestic creature breathing, and I just fell apart. That I had been responsible for taking its life… I broke.”

He added: “I became vegan because I do believe – I do hope – that as intelligence progresses in this part of the universe, that compassion will be a part of it. If you eat meat, that’s fine, do you. For me, it really hit home… I just want to note that I am trying to incorporate compassion into my life as best I can.”

Two of Johnson’s three meals are whole-food plant-based: super greens that include boiled broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and garlic, and a nutty pudding featuring chia seeds, macadamia nuts and berries.

He takes over 100 pills a day, undergoes skin treatments and red-light therapy, and has less than 7% body fat. Johnson has also stopped drinking alcohol, and doesn’t go out in the evening. Some of his abandoned efforts include taking human growth hormone and taking blood plasma from his 18-year-old son Talmage.

All this has led to the 47-year-old to claim that he has reversed his biological age, with the heart of someone 10 years his junior and the lung capacity of someone aged 18.

Netflix doc spotlights our ‘fear of mortality’

Don’t Die pulls back the curtain to provide intimate access to Johnson’s “gruelling daily routine, home life, medical procedures, and friends and family”, according to Netflix’s Tudum website.

The streamer says the documentary goes “deep into his psyche” and reveals the drastic shifts the millionaire took to overcome his personal struggles and dedicate his time, energy and fortune to living forever.

“Last year, I saw a headline about a man spending $2M a year to become 18 again,” Smith told Tudum. “That initial curiosity led to a 12-month journey following Bryan Johnson’s quest and its effect on those closest to him, while interviewing experts from around the world to get a better understanding of the people trying to live healthier, longer. A year later, I drink less, go to bed earlier, and wear a ring that tells me how bad my sleep is.”

According to Netflix, the documentary will also tackle the “larger issues it raises about our fear of mortality and long-held notions about growing older”.

Longevity and ageing have been hot issues in recent years, and many studies have linked plant-based eating to lower mortality rates. Only last year, Netfiix aired the Live to 100 docuseries, which explored the Blue Zones, regions with some of the longest-living populations, owing to regular movement (like walking) and whole-food plant-based diets.

In the documentary, Dan Buettner – who popularised (but didn’t invent) the Blue Zones – named Singapore as the sixth region on that list. He also announced the launch of his Blue Zones Kitchen consumer brand, which features fully plant-based ready meals.

Other Netflix documentaries focused on the benefits of a vegan diet include The Game Changers (2019), and You Are What You Eat (2024).