What would you invest in if you were to live to 150?
A startup in San Diego recently set in motion a development that could bury many of our certainties about life, aging, and death. Rejuvenate Bio has succeeded in rejuvenating living mice using gene therapy. This discovery could cost aging its undisputed status as the number one cause of death!
For the first time, researchers were able not only to delay the aging process but actually reverse it. Already damaged cells regenerated in the process. The mice, which normally live about 2 years, not only lived 4.5 months longer but in some cases also regained their lost vision and regenerated skin and organ cells. This is reminiscent of the myth of the Fountain of Youth. According to legend, whoever enters it as an old man or woman emerges as a youth.
For those who find this too fantastical, consider the great leaps in average life expectancy throughout history. Until 1800, it was merely 20 to 30 years. Only after that did we grow progressively older through medical and technological advances. Since the invention of the hand axe, this development proceeded relatively linearly, then rose sharply during the Industrial Revolution and shot up exponentially with the advent of the Information Age. This trajectory of the technological development curve makes high qualitative leaps in life expectancy in the near future more than likely. Even today, maximum age in the developed world is increasing by three months per year or six hours per day. (Source)
Leading entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos are therefore investing in projects such as that of Rejuvenate Bio. And futurologist Ray Kurzweil takes over 200 supplements daily to postpone death until the decisive invention arrives. Assuming his plan succeeds, one question would still remain: Which assets should he choose? Assume you also succeed and live to 150. According to a 2021 study, this is an entirely realistic goal. What would you invest in?
Gold is patient but does not make great leaps. The same can be said of diamonds, which are regarded as symbols of eternity. However, an increasingly longer life requires new technologies. In our view, the prospective 150-year-old should focus on the commodities required for these technologies. Longevity will require the development of additional medications and gene therapies. According to Ray Kurzweil, nanorobotics and AI will also play a role in the medicine of the future, particularly in organ maintenance. Not to mention the demands for generating clean energy for an ever-growing population.
With our metals, you are well prepared in any case! Invest in the medicine of the future with gallium, rhenium, germanium, silver, and rare earths. Or focus on AI, qubits, and quantum computers with hafnium. Since you would very likely witness nuclear fusion solving humanity’s energy problem, purchasing rare earths could also yield attractive returns.