Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, dubbed the “anti-ageing millionaire”, has been accused of using nondisclosure agreements to silence employees at his startup Blueprint about his bizarre behaviour.
Under the agreement, the workers had to attest that they were okay with him wearing “little and sometimes no clothing/no underwear” and with hearing “discussions of sexual activities, including erections”, according to a New York Times report, which was published last week, nearly a month after Mr Johnson accused the American newspaper of preparing to publish a “hit piece” about him.
The workers also had to agree that the 47-year-old’s behaviour was not “unwelcome, offensive, humiliating, hostile, triggering, unprofessional or abusive”, the report said.
Mr Johnson, however, said last month the opt-in agreement was “fair to all concerned and is in everyone’s best interest.”
What NYT Report Said About Bryan Johnson
The report said the Blueprint employment agreement with confidentiality terms was 20 pages long and included dozens of restrictions.
The 20-page agreement said the workers must keep confidential “any nonpublic information regarding Bryan’s home, office, personal effects in his home or office, any spaces rented or owned by Bryan, any vehicles/planes/automobiles/boats/other methods of transportation that are not publicly accessible, or areas of his home or such space that are not publicly accessible”.
Bryan Johnson frequently walked around with “little clothing” on and sometimes flirted with Blueprint’s largely female staff, the news outlet, which interviewed 30 people, said. But because of the opt-in agreement, no one was able to complain.
He also made millions from selling his payments firm Braintree to PayPal in 2013, and started investing the amount in his anti-ageing experiments. He then divorced his wife, hired prostitutes and took drugs like acid, Ibogaine and DMT, the report said.
What Bryan Johnson Said On NYT Report
Bryan Johnson, whose “Project Blueprint” inspired the Netflix documentary “Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever”, said the New York Times “tried to come” for him but “missed”.
“What was meant to be a takedown ended up reading like a profile piece,” he posted on X on Friday, hours after the report was published.
“They spent a year digging, talked to 30 people, including former fired employees, propped up my ex as their star witness (who tried to extract $9 million from me and failed) And still came up empty. It was only by contorting and twisting facts to fit a narrative that they barely had enough to publish,” he said as he “thanked” NYT for the coverage.
The New York Times tried to come for me and missed.
What was meant to be a takedown ended up reading like a profile piece.
+ they spent a year digging
+ talked to 30 people, incl former fired employees
+ propped up my ex as their star witness (who tried to extract $9 million… pic.twitter.com/Q4OAM7GHPT— Bryan Johnson (@bryan_johnson) March 21, 2025
Last month, Mr Johnson also publicly responded to the “fact-checking” questions that were mailed to him by the NYT reporter before publishing the story.
Speaking about the opt-in agreement at Blueprint, he said, “I post nudes on social media. I track my nighttime erections. My team openly discusses my semen health. We make dank memes. Rather than letting people walk in blind, we disclose this upfront, in writing, so there are no surprises.”
“This isn’t coercion; it’s transparency. This practice is fair to all concerned and is in everyone’s best interest. If someone doesn’t align with our culture, they are free to work elsewhere. No one is forced to sign anything. The opt-in agreement exists to ensure that people understand and consent to the environment. It eliminates ambiguity and prevents misunderstandings,” he added.
Question:
“My reporting shows that you have used confidentiality agreements extensively in your personal life and also at your businesses, with at least more than two dozen people over the last ten years. The agreements I have seen over the years have grown to be much longer and…— Bryan Johnson (@bryan_johnson) February 24, 2025
Mr Johnson, who reportedly spends $2 million every year to reverse his age, also said the confidentiality agreements are “standard and normal”.
“I would be surprised if you didn’t sign one as a condition of employment at The New York Times. On a personal level, my life is under constant scrutiny. These agreements try to create clear boundaries and expectations, so that trust isn’t left to chance,” he said.
“Over time, our agreements have evolved, just like everything else I iterate & improve upon. The goal is precision. Clarity eliminates confusion. People know where they stand, and that’s a win for everyone,” Mr Johnson added.