This billionaire plans to be cryogenically frozen after death, but will the technology actually work?

Thiel believes that the convergence of powerful computing and biology will allow for the reversal of all human ailments.

Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel has revealed that he has signed up to be cryogenically frozen after his death, hoping for a chance to be revived in the future. However, Thiel expressed skepticism about the efficacy of the so-called “cryonics” technology.

Peter Thiel had also invested millions in anti-ageing research. (Reuters)

Thiel shared his thoughts on life preservation during an appearance on journalist Bari Weiss's podcast on Wednesday, as reported by the New York Post.

"I don't necessarily expect it to work, but I think it's the sort of thing we're supposed to try to do," Thiel said, characterizing his decision as more of an ideological statement than a practical one.

Weiss pressed Thiel on whether he has convinced any of his loved ones to also pursue cryonic preservation, to which Thiel replied that he is not convinced the technology is currently viable. "It's more, I think we need to be trying these things. It's not there yet," he added.

Thiel, whose net worth is over $8 billion as per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, had earlier in 2014 told The Telegraph that he signed up to be preserved after death by the biotech firm Alcor.

According to a report by The Guardian in 2022, Peter Thiel had also invested millions in anti-ageing research through the Methuselah Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to redefine ageing and make "90 the new 50 by 2030."

Thiel believes that the convergence of powerful computing and biology will allow for the reversal of all human ailments, much like how bugs are fixed in computer programs. Thiel envisions a future where death is no longer a mystery, but a problem that can be solved, the report said.

Thiel, who is 55 years old, made his initial fortune as a co-founder of PayPal and was an early investor in Facebook. He is also a prominent donor to the Republican party and expressed his intention to support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the GOP's 2024 presidential nomination in the same podcast interview with Weiss. Thiel is also an original partner in the venture capital firm Founders Fund.

Cryonics

Alcor, a company specialising in cryonic preservation, defines its work as the “practice of preserving life by temporarily halting the dying process through the use of subfreezing temperatures, with the intention of restoring good health with advanced medical technology in the future.”

Cryonics involves the low-temperature freezing and storage of human remains in the hope that resurrection may be feasible in the future. However, this concept is viewed with skepticism by the majority of the scientific community.