Bryan Johnson: Difference between revisions

'''Bryan Johnson''' (born August 22, 1977) is an American entrepreneur,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Altucher|first1=James|title=How To Go From $0 To $1,000,000 In Two Years|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/05/04/how-to-go-from-0-to-1000000-in-two-years/|publisher=TechCrunch|date=May 4, 2013}}</ref><ref name=Where>{{cite web|last1=Kravitz|first1=Seth|title=How Bryan Johnson has Taken Braintree to Explosive Growth in Three Years|url=http://technori.com/2010/12/116-how-bryan-johnson-has-taken-braintree-to-explosive-growth-in-three-years/|publisher=Technori}}</ref> [[venture capitalist]],<ref name=WSJ>{{cite web|last1=Mims|first1=Christopher|title=Humanity's Last Great Hope: Venture Capitalists|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/humanitys-last-great-hope-venture-capitalists-1413817498|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=October 20, 2014|url-access=subscription}}</ref> writer and author.<ref name=PT>{{cite web|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-future-brain/202005/kernel-launches-neuroscience-service-naas|last1=Rosso|first1=Cami|title=Kernel launches neuroscience as a service (NaaS)|publisher=Psychology Today|date=May 7, 2020|accessdate=2020-09-15}}</ref> He is the founder and CEO of [[Kernel (neurotechnology company)|Kernel]], a company that can monitor and record brain activity,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statnews.com/2017/03/28/elon-musk-brain-interfaces/|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Elon Musk's latest target: Brain-computer interfaces|work=Statnews|agency=Associated Press|date=March 28, 2017|access-date=2018-03-27}}</ref><ref name=Vance>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-05/brain-startup-wants-to-read-your-mind-with-a-helmet|last1=Vance|first1=Ashlee|title=A neuroscience startup uses helmets to measure brain activity|publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek|date=May 20, 2020|accessdate=2020-09-15}}</ref> and [[OS Fund]], a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage science and technology companies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=279565373|title=OS Fund LLC: Private Company Information|publisher=Bloomberg|accessdate=February 22, 2018}}</ref>

He was also the founder, chairman and CEO of [[Braintree (company)|Braintree]],<ref name=Founder>{{cite web|last1=Mangalindan|first1=JP|title=Crazy, insane start-ups are this tech investor's meat and potatoes|url=http://fortune.com/2014/10/20/crazy-fund-startups/|publisher=Fortune}}</ref> a company which specializes in mobile and web payment systems for ecommerce companies. Braintree acquired [[Venmo]] in 2012 for $26.2&nbsp;million; the combined entity was acquired by [[PayPal]] for $800&nbsp;million in 2013.<ref name=Wortham>{{cite web|url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/16/payments-start-up-braintree-buys-venmo-for-26-2-million/?_r=0|title=Braintree, a Payments Company, Buys Venmo for $26.2 Million|last1=Wortham|first1=Jenna|date=August 16, 2012|work= The New York Times|access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2013/09/26/ebay-buys-payments-startup-braintree-for-800m-yet-another-win-for-paypal/|title=Ebay buys payments startup Braintree for $800M, yet another win for PayPal|last1=Hardawar|first1=Devindra|publisher=VentureBeat|access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref>

Johnson was born in [[Provo, Utah]],<ref name=Johnson>{{cite web|url=http://www.bryanjohnson.co|title=Bryan Johnson|access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref> and raised in [[Springville, Utah]],<ref name=Founder /> the middle child of three brothers and a sister. After his parents divorced, Johnson lived with his mother and his stepfather, the owner of a trucking company. At 19, Johnson became a [[Mormon missionary]], customary for young men in [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church), spending two years in [[Ecuador]].<ref name=Where />

Johnson graduated with a BA in International Studies from [[Brigham Young University]] in 2003 and an MBA from the [[University of Chicago Booth School of Business]] in 2007.<ref name="Johnson" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagobooth.edu/daa/2016_honorees/bryan-johnson|title=Bryan Johnson|publisher=The University of Chicago Booth School of Business|access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref>

Johnson launched three startups between 1999 and 2003. The first, which sold cell phones, helped pay his way through [[Brigham Young University]]. In that business, Johnson hired other college students to sell service plans along with cell phones; Johnson earned about a $300 commission on each sale.<ref name="Founder" /><ref name="Ferriss2">{{cite podcast|url=http://traffic.libsyn.com/timferriss/TFS_Bryan_Johnson_Edited_Final.mp3|title=The Rags to Riches Philosopher: Bryan Johnson's Path to $800 Million|website=fourhourworkweek.com|host=Tim Ferriss|date=June 12, 2015|accessdate=October 6, 2015}}</ref>

Johnson also started two other businesses. Inquist, a [[Voice over IP|VoIP]] company Johnson co-founded with three other partners, with combined features of [[Vonage]] and [[Skype]]. It ended operations in 2001.<ref name="Where" /> After that, he joined his brother and another partner on a $70&nbsp;million real estate project later in 2001. The project did not achieve sales goals.<ref name="Where" />

Johnson founded Braintree in 2007.<ref name="Stories2">{{cite web|date=July 12, 2012|title=Founder Stories at 1871: Braintree's Bryan Johnson|url=http://doejo.com/blog/founder-stories-at-1871-braintrees-bryan-johnson/#.VGTuPfnF9EM|publisher=Doejo}}</ref><ref name="USAT2">{{cite web|last1=Barr|first1=Alistair|date=September 26, 2013|title=PayPal agrees to acquire Braintree for $800 million|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/09/26/paypal-braintree-acquisition/2874891/|access-date=May 3, 2015|publisher=USA Today}}</ref> The company was 47th on [[Inc. (magazine)|Inc.]] magazine's 2011 list of the 500 fastest-growing companies<ref>{{cite web|title=The 2011 Inc. 5000|url=http://www.inc.com/inc5000/list/2011/|access-date=May 3, 2015|publisher=Inc.}}</ref> and 415th in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 2012 Inc. 5000|url=http://www.inc.com/inc5000/list/2012/400/|access-date=May 3, 2015|publisher=Inc.}}</ref> That year, Braintree purchased Venmo, an app that allows users to send and receive money from each other electronically, for $26.2&nbsp;million.<ref name="Wortham" />

By September 2013, the company announced it was processing $12&nbsp;billion in payments annually, with $4&nbsp;billion of that on mobile.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Deamicis|first1=Carmel|date=September 20, 2013|title=Mobile payments are one-third of Braintree's business|url=http://pando.com/2013/09/20/mobile-payments-are-one-third-of-braintrees-business/|access-date=May 3, 2015|publisher=Pando Daily}}</ref> Shortly afterward, on September 26, 2013, the company was acquired by [[PayPal]], then part of eBay, for $800&nbsp;million.<ref name="USAT2" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Chowdhry|first1=Amit|date=September 26, 2013|title=eBay Buys Braintree For $800 Million To Accelerate Its Mobile Payments Revenue|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2013/09/26/ebay-buys-chicago-based-braintree-for-800-million/|work=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Bomkamp|first1=Samantha|date=September 26, 2013|title=EBay buying Chicago-based Braintree|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-09-26/business/chi-ebay-buying-braintree-20130926_1_online-payments-pioneer-mobile-payments-braintree|publisher=Chicago Tribune}}</ref>

In October 2014, Johnson announced the creation of OS Fund, which he backed with $100&nbsp;million of his personal capital.<ref name="Founder" /> The venture capital fund invests in companies that use artificial intelligence and machine learning in fields including advanced materials, computationally derived therapeutics, [[diagnostics]], [[genomics]], [[nanotechnology]], and [[synthetic biology]].<ref>{{cite web|title=OS Fund|url=https://osfund.co|access-date=2020-09-15|publisher=OS Fund}}</ref>

Johnson founded [[Kernel (neurotechnology company)|Kernel]] in 2016, investing $100 million of his own money to launch the company.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mannes|first1=John|date=October 20, 2016|title=Bryan Johnson invests $100 million in Kernel to unlock the power of the human brain|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/20/bryan-johnson-invests-100-million-in-kernel-to-unlock-the-power-of-the-human-brain/|access-date=October 31, 2016|publisher=TechCrunch}}</ref> The company later shifted its focus to building hardware that measures electrical and hemodynamic signals produced by the brain. In 2020, [[Kernel (neurotechnology company)|Kernel]] demonstrated a pair of helmet-like devices that can see and record brain activity. Johnson hopes to bring the brain online with Kernel{{Dubious|date=November 2022}}. Study may include Alzheimer's disease, aging, concussions, meditation states, and strokes.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://theweek.com/health-and-science/1001592/a-california-tech-millionaire-is-weeks-away-from-selling-helmets-that|author=Weber, Peter|date=June 16, 2021|access-date=June 17, 2021|work=The Week|title=A California tech millionaire is weeks away from selling helmets that can read your mind|publisher=Dennis}}</ref> The company has said the devices may be used to help paralyzed individuals communicate, or people with mental health challenges access new therapies.<ref name="Vance" />

By July 2020, [[Kernel (neurotechnology company)|Kernel]] had raised $53&nbsp;million from outside investors, following Johnson's investment of $54&nbsp;million in the company since its inception.<ref>{{cite web|last1=O'Brien|first1=Chris|date=July 9, 2020|title=Kernel raises $53 million to bring neuroscience insights to businesses|url=https://venturebeat.com/2020/07/09/kernel-raises-53-million-to-make-neuroscience-insights-accessible-to-businesses/|accessdate=2020-09-15|publisher=VentureBeat}}</ref>

Recipient of the [[University of Chicago]] Booth's 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bryan R. Johnson|url=http://www.chicagobooth.edu/daa/honorees/bryan-johnson|access-date=2020-10-15|website=www.chicagobooth.edu|language=en}}</ref>

Johnson has also contributed one chapter to the book ''Architects of Intelligence: The Truth About AI from the People Building it'' (2018) by the American futurist [[Martin Ford (author)|Martin Ford]].<ref name="BK102">{{cite news|last=Falcon|first=William|date=November 30, 2018|title=This Is The Future Of AI According To 23 World-Leading AI Experts|website=Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamfalcon/2018/11/30/this-is-the-future-of-ai-according-to-23-world-leading-ai-experts/#60939b2b62f2|access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref>

Johnson has three children.<ref name="Johnson" /> He was previously engaged to [[Taryn Southern]]. In October 2021, she sued him after he allegedly reneged on an agreement to pay for her living expenses after she got breast cancer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-09 |title=Anti-aging mogul 'dumped fiancée after she got breast cancer' |url=https://nypost.com/2023/02/09/anti-aging-mogul-dumped-fiancee-after-she-got-breast-cancer/ |access-date=2023-07-06 |language=en-US}}</ref>

He was raised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but left the Church when he was 34.<ref>{{cite podcast|url=http://thisweekinstartups.com/bryan-johnson-os-fund/|title=Episode 579: Founder Bryan Johnson sold Braintree to build an extraordinary world with OS Fund and next-level synthetic biology, A.I., space tools, transportation, and more|website=This Week in Startups|host=Jason Calacanis|date=September 18, 2015|access-date=October 8, 2015}}</ref> He is a pilot and has climbed [[Mount Kilimanjaro]], the highest mountain in Africa, as well as [[Toubkal]], the highest peak of North Africa.<ref name="Johnson" />

* Sweeney, Brigid (2011). [http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/40under40-2011#_Johnson "Crain's 40 Under 40"]. Chicago Business

* Edwards, Jim (December 14, 2012). [http://www.businessinsider.com/braintrees-hammock-filled-treehouse-office-2012-12?op=1 "We're Jealous Of This Startup's Hammock-Filled Treehouse Office"]. Business Insider.

* Mitroff, Sarah (October 17, 2012). [https://www.wired.com/2012/10/braintree/ "Braintree Seeks Online Payment Domination"]. Wired.

* [http://www.sbnonline.com/article/bryan-johnson-founder-and-chairman-braintree-inc/ "Bryan Johnson, founder and chairman, Braintree Inc."]. SBNOnline.com. July 1, 2012.

* [http://www.inc.com/inc5000/list/2012/400 "The 2012 Inc. 5000 List"].

* [http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20111001/PAGES/110929913/crains-tech%E2%80%A6 "Crain's Tech 25"]. Chicago Business.

* [http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120922/ISSUE02/120929941/meet-chic%E2%80%A6 "Crain's Tech 50"]. Chicago Business.