OpenAI CEO Invests $180m in a Human Longevity Startup

A new report from MIT Technology Review reveals that the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind text-to-image AI generator DALL-E and AI chatbot ChatGPT, Sam Altman has invested $180 million in a human longevity startup called Retro Biosciences.

Retro's ambitious mission is to reverse the process of aging and extend the average human lifespan by ten years. The company announced it had raised $180 million to fund its goals back in the middle of 2022. During that time, Retro Biosciences was described as a "mysterious startup" by press reports, as the source of its funding was unknown and its investors remained anonymous.

And now, MIT Technology Review has disclosed that the entire amount was provided by Sam Altman, the 37-year-old CEO of OpenAI and investor extraordinaire, who is widely regarded as a startup expert.

Additionally, Altman told the outlet that he also invested $375 million into Helion Energy, a fusion power startup. He states that he "emptied his bank account" to fund the two projects, which, according to him, pursue "equally ambitious goals: limitless energy and extended life span." 

Altman's investments in Retro Biosciences and Helion Energy rank among the biggest ever made by an individual in startups dedicated to human longevity and fusion power, respectively. Although he is not listed on Forbes' billionaire index, Altman is a prosperous investor who has previously funded early-stage companies such as Stripe and Airbnb.

Altman is known for his involvement with OpenAI, whose ChatGPT has shown a great ability to answer queries with nearly human-like expertise. The software has also shown that it's capable of generating books, movie script outlines, Python scripts, and even rap battles. The chatbot's breakthrough has resulted in Microsoft pledging to make a new "multibillion-dollar" investment in OpenAI.

You can learn more about Sam Altman's investments in Retro Biosciences and Helion Energy here. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform, our Reddit page, and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.