Bryan Johnson was born on 22 August 1977, in Provo, Utah USA, and is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur, best known for founding Kernel, a company responsible for developing a neuroprosthetic device. He also helped develop the OS Fund, which invests in science and technology start-ups. All of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Bryan Johnson? As of mid-2016, sources estimate a net worth that is at $400 million, mostly earned through numerous investments and businesses. Aside from Kernel, he is also the founder of the online payment system Braintree, which was eventually acquired by eBay. As he continues his career, it is expected that his wealth will increase.
Bryan Johnson Net Worth $400 million
Johnson’s parents would divorce when he was young and he would later live with his stepfather who was the owner of a trucking company. At the age of 19, he became a Mormon missionary and spent two years in Ecuador doing missionary work. By the time he returned home, he was convinced to build a company and have enough money to retire by the age of 30. He attended Brigham Young University and graduated with a degree in International Studies in 2003. He then finished an MBA at the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business in 2007.
While at school, Johnson was already involved in various ventures, and in 1999 he would launch three start-ups, one of which sold cell phones. He hired other students to sell cell phones, and he would earn around $300 commission on each sale. He then started a VOIP company, however, the venture would collapse in 2001 mostly due to errors and failing to secure funding because of 9/11. Later in the year, he and another partner would go on a $70 million real estate project which would struggle to achieve its goals. Eventually, they decided to give up on that one, but his net worth was still set.
While working part-time selling credit card processing services, he would become the top salesperson, and then get the idea for Braintree. He obtained a management position at Sears, and then formed Braintree, approaching old customers for the business. The company would soon grow rapidly thanks to up and coming projects including Uber, Airbnb, and Shopify. In 2012, Braintree purchased Venmo which was a start-up that allowed users to send and receive money electronically; Braintree was already producing more than $10 million in revenue during this time. In 2013, the company was acquired by eBay for $800 million, boosting Johnson’s net worth significantly.
In 2013, he worked on his next project, the OS Fund which was backed by $100 million of his personal capital. During launch, the company invested $15 million in seven start-ups, including Planetary Resources and Vicarious. He then started Kernel in 2016 with the goal of creating implantable technology that improves brain function. It is meant for people who suffered with disorders such as epilepsy and neurodegeneration.
For his personal life, it is known that Bryan was raised Mormon but eventually left the church. He has three children – but with no information on their mother(s) – and is an outdoor enthusiast. He’s climbed the highest mountain in Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro – and is also a pilot. Aside from these, he’s written a children’s book entitled “Code 7”.
