Recently I was interviewed by Adam Mendler, the Chief Executive Officer of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam and I discussed the longevity industry, our investment strategy at Longevity Vision Fund and what everyone can do now to improve the human lifespan. I hope you will enjoy our conversation:
'I recently went one on one with Sergey Young. Sergey the $100 million Longevity Vision Fund, his personal passion project, to accelerate life extension breakthroughs and to make them affordable and accessible to all, positioning him as one of a few investors in the category globally. His longevity fund invests in companies that develop technologies, products, and services that extend healthy human lifespans and overcome the negative effects of aging. Sergey has over 20 years of experience managing funds, and while not working on his passion project, he oversees $2 billion in private equity funds and heads Peak State Ventures, a U.S. based fund with a focus on new technologies in real estate, digital healthcare and the future of workplace environments. Prior to becoming a fund manager and investor, Sergey made a career as a business consultant, working at McKinsey & Co., serving global corporations worldwide.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts and advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Sergey: Having been an investor for 20 years, including successfully managing a $1 billion private equity fund, I did not expect the creation of Longevity Vision Fund (the most recent fund I set up to accelerate life extension breakthroughs) to be inspired by a health scare – rather than through some kind of long-term plan.
A routine visit to a doctor, which I neglected for several years, uncovered dangerously high cholesterol levels, putting me at high risk of heart disease. While this might seem unimpressive by itself, bear in mind that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality internationally – a risk that 102 million American adults with high cholesterol levels are also exposed to.
My doctor’s prescription aimed to mask, but not resolve the problem. She prescribed statins (cholesterol-lowering medication) that I would have to take for the rest of my life – despite being just 42 years old at the time.
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