Life keeps getting longer. We routinely hear that the next generation can expect to see more than a century’s worth of life. But that’s not enough for Google. They want to get in a good five centuries’ worth, at least.
That’s not just a pipe dream, Bill Maris says. It’s reality.
Maris is the president and managing partner of Google Ventures, which invests Google’s big bucks in promising technology. Bloomberg has a new profile on the unusual executive, who sees the world through the lens of potential.
But optimism isn’t Maris’ only asset. He also has money. Lots of money.
Bloomberg reports that Maris has $425 million to invest in 2015 alone, and he’s looking to sink most of it into companies that will “slow aging, reverse disease, and extend life.” That might include everything from cancer detection and treatment to genetic manipulation and human-implant robotics.
The concept of “old age” is in the midst of a revolution. It has been absolutely fascinating to watch the shift over the last few decades, and especially in just the last couple of years. The culture is rapidly limiting diseases like heart disease and cancer, and people’s lifespan is growing nearly as quickly as their hair.
Of course, longer life means greater expense. All of those disease-crushing, life-extending treatments cost money. Most of us don’t have Mr. Mari’s $425 million annual investment budget. So what does the prospect of longer life mean for everybody else? The same thing it’s always meant: plan now.
Whether you live to be eighty, one hundred, or five hundred, you’ll need a plan in place to provide for medical treatment, long-term care, and all the other expenses that go along with aging. That’s where an experienced lawyer can come in handy.
we provide Phoenix estate planning and elder law services for clients of all ages. We’ll help you prepare to live as long as you wish — right on up to 500, if Google gets its way.
