Investor Alan Patricof Plans to Live to 114

Credit: Age Tech Collaborative from AARP

Alan Patricof, who has been called the most famous venture capitalist nobody’s ever heard of, is 89 years old, thinks and acts like someone half his age, and plans to live to 114.

In a recent appearance on financial news network CNBC, Patricof mentioned that he ran the New York City Marathon last year. He also attended Burning Man, the weeklong festival of artists, makers and community organizers in the Nevada desert where he was “determined to be the oldest one there.”

Predictions of Life Expectancy Keep Expanding

He explained that his lifespan goal was inspired by a gerontologist who said a properly maintained male human body should last 114 years.

While that may seem far-fetched, the possibility was affirmed by a 2017 Dutch study reported in Medical Express, and there are predictions that humans may do even better.

According to University of Washington research on supercentenarians (people who live to 110 or longer), researchers believe that by the end of the century, the world record of 122 years will be broken, with at least one person living 125 to 132 years.

Some researchers are taking it even further. A study published in Nature Communications in 2021 estimated lifespans could extend to 150 years.

Meaningful Longevity

Of course, for many people, living beyond 100 holds little appeal if quality of life diminishes significantly. So, in 2020, to help optimize those extended years, Patricof launched Primetime Partners with Abby Levy, the former Senior Vice President of SoulCycle. Their mission: invest in early-stage startups that bring products and services to an aging population, which will contribute to “meaningful longevity.”

Patricof, who was an early investor in AOL, Apple, Office Depot, Venmo, and Bumble, and has turned millions into billions in his many ventures, sees a huge opportunity in our aging population.

Pitricof wants the aging population to enjoy “meaningful longevity.”
Credit: cottonbro studio

Fastest Growing Population

Research by Patricof’s firm has determined that there are 50 million seniors in the United States, and they are the fastest-growing population segment, increasing at three to six times the rate of the rest of the country. From now until 2030, 10,000 to 12,000 people are retiring daily.

As he told the Wall Street Journal a few years ago, “This is the fastest-growing part of the population, so we’ve got to figure out how to keep these people active, motivated, interested and entertained,” he said.

Patricof’s Secret to a Long, Active Life

Questioned on CNBC about the secret to his own longevity, Patricof acknowledged that part of it is genetics; he’s still logging four miles a day on the knees he was born with. But he added emphatically that “I’ve always maintained a positive attitude,” along with a strong sense of purpose.

And, as Men’s Health reported, he believes that less is more when it comes to eating. Fanatical about maintaining his ideal weight, he avoids snacks and weighs himself twice a day. If he gains more than his two-pound limit, he’ll skip a meal. To keep his mind sharp, he practices Transcendental Meditation and relies on his legs to get him to appointments and social commitments.

Never Stop Growing

Whether he meets his longevity goals or not, his attitude and lifestyle have ensured that he still has plenty of gas in the tank. “I had another act in me,” he said about founding Primetime Partners at 85, “and had the energy to do something else.”

As he stated in his promo video for his autobiography “No Red Lights,” he hopes he can inspire people to “never stop growing, building and starting something new.”