Welcome to the age of longevity capitalism
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Level 5 by design analogy (non-clinical conceptual and theoretical essay with no empirical data).
OpenAlex W4416979471 · doi:10.1017/fas.2025.10027
What was done
This conceptual essay develops the framework of 'longevity capitalism,' examining how aging and the pursuit of life extension have shifted from collective welfare challenges to individualized, financialized investment opportunities. The author analyzes examples across financial instruments managing longevity risk, the emerging 'age-tech' sector, Silicon Valley life-extension investments, and speculative concepts such as 'longevity escape velocity.'
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative data or empirical measurements. It presents a theoretical analysis arguing that biological time and life expectancy are increasingly treated as economic resources, linking wealth accumulation to deferred mortality and reshaping power dynamics over who accesses longer life.
Why it matters
It offers a critical political economy lens on the longevity sector, outlining how marketization and venture capital shape aging research and life-extension technologies.
Limits
The paper is a conceptual essay rather than an empirical study. It includes no quantitative data, formal econometric models, or systematic review methods, and its arguments reflect theoretical synthesis rather than tested hypotheses.
Cited by
- supports The term 'longevity escape velocity' was coined by biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey.