15 Famous People who want to be Cryogenically Frozen

Peter Thiel photo by TechCrunch50-2008-Wikimedia Commons.

15 Famous People who want to be Cryogenically Frozen

Cryonics, also known as cryopreservation, is the practice of freezing and preserving the body after death with the intention of eventually resurrecting it.

Robert Ettinger, a college math and physics instructor who published “The Prospect of Immortality” in 1962, is regarded as the founder of cryonics. He put up the astounding idea that dying is merely another ailment, one that need not be incurable.

The cryonics movement gained momentum when the book was praised by science fiction author Isaac Asimov. Additionally, the technology is still being developed, but it has recently gained popularity, and several well-known people have expressed interest in being cryopreserved. Here are 15 of the most famous people who have expressed an interest in cryonics.

1. Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel photo by TechCrunch50-2008-Wikimedia Commons.

Peter Thiel, a co-founder of Paypal, has previously made significant investments in scientific research related to longevity and anti-aging.

In order to finally find a treatment for the condition of aging, he contributed millions of dollars to the Sens Research Foundation in 2009.

Theil believes that the 21st century would witness enormous technical developments and that by being cryopreserved, he will be able to take advantage of them.

2. Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell photo by Alison Martin of SimonCowellOnline.com-Wikimedia Commons.

The American Idol and America’s Got Talent judge and record executive Simon Cowell declared in 2011 that he was considering undergoing cryopreservation. Cowell viewed it more as an insurance policy for a chance to perhaps avoid dying at the moment.

However, Cowell made it clear that he was no longer interested in being cryopreserved in 2020 after receiving mocking remarks about seeking the treatment from a comedian. He said he didn’t enjoy the thought of getting his head chopped off.

3. Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton photo by Office of Congressman Greg Steube-Wikimedia Commons.

Paris Hilton, an American socialite, and businesswoman stated in public in 2007 that she wants to leave her mark on the world and thinks cryonics gives her the opportunity to do so.

She reportedly made a Cryonics Institute investment at the time of the interview. She has also registered her two dogs, Yorkshire Terrier Cinderella, and Chihuahua Tinkerbell, for the service.

4. Walt Disney

Walt Disney photo by Boy Scouts of America-Wikimedia Commons.

Walt Disney was arguably the most well-known person ever to be associated with cryopreservation. There’s a good probability that the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks of human cryopreservation is Disney.

After his passing, rumors regarding his alleged fascination with death and cryonics spread. In Anaheim, California’s Disneyland, it was rumored that he was cryopreserved and kept either under Sleeping Beauty’s castle or the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

But following his funeral, his remains were cremated and interred at Glendale, California’s Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Additionally, cryonics was still in its infancy when he passed away. A few weeks following Disney’s passing, the Cryonics Society of California completed the first human cryopreservation.

5. Ray Kurzweil

Ray Kurzweil photo by Ed Schipul-Wikimedia Commons.

American author, inventor, and futurist Ray Kurzweil has written some significant works on the subject of artificial intelligence.

He has also made a significant contribution to the advancement of voice and optical character recognition technologies.

He is aware of the potential technological advancements that could occur over the ensuing decades and is curious about how they would alter our life. He has signed up with Alcor for human cryopreservation.

6. Ralph Merkle

Ralph Merkle is a famous cryonicist who has a keen interest in human cryopreservation. He was a computer scientist who invented Merkle’s Puzzles and cryptographic hashing, two innovations that had a huge impact on cryptography.

He is currently a speaker and researcher in cryonics. He presently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board and the Board of Directors of Alcor. He has also signed up to have his body cryopreserved with them in the future.

7. Larry King

A legendary talk show and radio broadcaster Larry King had previously stated that he wanted to be cryopreserved after passing away. He expressed his desire to be cryopreserved when he passed away in interviews conducted in 2009 and 2011.

He desired “the whole Ted Williams treatment,” the New York Times reported in an interview. He tragically passed away in 2021, but many people were curious about whether he had received his wish and whether he had been cryopreserved.

Probably not simply because King’s family members had a heart-to-heart conversation about what he wanted after his death, according to a family source. King’s family thought about it and decided they didn’t want him to be cryopreserved.

8. Steve Aoki

The Aoki Foundation, founded by Steve Aoki, a well-known DJ, record producer, and businessman in the electronic dance music genre, aims to raise awareness about brain health as well as recent advancements in aging and age reversal.

As well as funding anti-aging technology, the foundation funds investments in brain preservation. Along with his family, he has stated that he wants to be cryopreserved.

9. David Pizer

According to AZ Central, David Pizer, a businessman, TV spokesperson, and owner of an Arizona resort, ran against John McCain for the U.S. Senate in the 2016 Republican primary.

In 2006, David and his wife Judi worked to advance Alcor, and in the 1980s, Pizer joined a pioneering cryonics company. Although he has previously said, “I would rather take an anti-aging drug than have to do this,” the pair also has plans to cryogenically freeze their beloved dog companions.

He isn’t quite thrilled about the concept. They have made elaborate preparations for their future return as well, putting money away in a “Personal Revival Trust” that will earn interest throughout the couple’s decades of suspension.

10. Dr. Aubrey De Grey

Dr. Aubrey De Grey, a geneticist and proponent of transhumanism, is most known for his oft-quoted statement that “The first person to live to 1,000 might be 60 already.”

Dr. de Grey takes his work seriously and firmly thinks that such anti-aging technology should protect all social groups, not just the bourgeoisie.

But even though he just signed up to have his head frozen, not his entire body, a website called The Verge reports that he is another well-known individual to add to the list of Alcor clients who have been recognized.

In his Reddit AMA, Dr. de Grey defended cryonics, contending that sci-fi films, not the science itself, are to blame for the bad popular impression of the technology.

11. Curtis Lovell II

Curtis Lovell II is a magician and escape artist, but even if you don’t know his name, chances are likely that you’ve seen his work.

According to Arts and Entertainment Magazine, he has made numerous TV appearances, including sawing Paris Hilton in half on The Simple Life, performing magic tricks on Gene Simmons Family Jewels, publicly challenging fellow magician David Blaine to a duel, and strutting his stuff as Larry King’s opening act.

However, as stated in a news release from 2006, Lovell aspires to one day do his greatest magic trick of all: cryogenic freezing-based resurrection.

Lovell joined the American Cryonics Society and enlisted his team to make sure that if he ever passes away while performing one of his risky stunts, such as escaping the infamous “Cube of Death” or being buried alive, his body will be taken away, properly preserved, and placed on ice, presumably so he can finish the stunt in another century or so.

12. Max More

Max More is a futurist and philosopher who talks, publishes, and consults on advanced choices involving new technologies. After almost nine and a half years as the president and CEO of the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, he is now the Ambassador and President Emeritus.  

However, the head of Alcor has his own plan to become frozen, which would be fairly absurd otherwise. The BBC claims that Max More has his sights set on an even loftier objective.

More has set his sights on the next level: “neuropreservation,” a process that freezes only his brain, and nothing else, while other people choose to freeze their entire bodies and others only their heads.

He believes it will not be necessary to preserve the remainder of his body. This indicates that More has a great belief in the development of technology, as he claims, “I want to be in the future because I think it’s a very good place to be. I want to continue existing, relishing, and making.”

13. Larry Flynt

Larry Flynt, formerly one of the most influential figures in the adult entertainment sector, is best known as the editor-in-chief of Hustler Magazine. As the self-described “Smut-Peddler Who Cares,” he also occasionally dabbled in politics, briefly running for president against Ronald Reagan in 1983 and then for governor of California in the 2003 recall election, according to CNN.

He also joined the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, according to People Magazine. When Althea was diagnosed with AIDS in the 1980s, Flynt and his wife both signed up for cryogenic preservation in the hopes that she would one day be awakened if an HIV cure was discovered.

However Althea was discovered dead in a bathtub by a nurse, but the right technique for cryonics necessitates perfect timing when it comes to a person’s physical state at the time of death, thus Althea was unable to be frozen.

But according to police Chief Alan Kunzman’s 2004 book Mothermelters: The Inside Story of Cryonics and the Dora Kent Homicide, Flynt is still a part of Alcor today, and the Foundation intends to not only resuscitate him but also enable him to walk once again. According to Atlanta Magazine, Flynt has been disabled since suffering a gunshot wound in 1978.

14. Britney Spears

Another famous person who paid $200,000 for a full-body cryonic corpse is Britney Spears. Britney Spears wants to live forever, and the more information that comes out about this expanding sector, the more captivated she is, according to a friend of hers.

Despite the fact that Spears takes herself seriously, her father, Jamie Spears, couldn’t help but joke that she’ll become the next Ice Queen like Elsa from the popular Disney film Frozen.

He believes it would be better to leave the money to her two children, but Britney Spears gets what she wants, mainly immortality. She joins the other famous people on the list that can’t resist the thought of reappearing in the public eye when the world has long since forgotten them.

15. Ted Williams

Ted Williams, a member of the baseball hall of fame who passed away in 2002, is also frozen in Alcor. Williams’ half-sister said that Williams wanted to be cremated and scattered around the Florida Keys, and as a result, his son and daughter received a great deal of public derision for this choice.

Years after publishing Ted Williams, My Father, and Claudia Williams finally stepped out, saying, “I can tell you that my family chose cryonics out of love. When we missed him the most, our father knew we needed something to cling to for solace and hope.

If cryonics was the answer, the solution was straightforward. Here are a few amusing family facts: Williams’ body and head are kept apart in the cryonics facility.

The same lab houses the remains of his son, who passed just two years later. Cryonics is another technique to maintain faith in Claudia’s eyes. She thinks she should have trust that she will be reunited if there is a chance.