Dave Asprey

Dave Asprey
Born	1973 Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Business innovator, writer, entrepreneur
Years active	1993–present
Known for	Founder of Bulletproof 360, Inc.; creator of the Bulletproof diet

Dave Asprey (born 1973) is an American business innovator and writer, recognized for establishing Bulletproof 360, Inc. in 2013 and Bulletproof Nutrition Inc. the following year. He advocates the Bulletproof diet, characterized by its low carbohydrate and high fat content, which has faced criticism from nutrition experts as lacking scientific validity. Men's Health referred to him as a "lifestyle guru."

Asprey was among the pioneers utilizing the Internet for online commerce, marketing caffeine-themed apparel through the alt.drugs.caffeine newsgroup as early as 1994. He is also a key figure within the biohacking community. Prior to launching Bulletproof, he occupied leadership roles at several technology firms such as Trend Micro, Blue Coat Systems, and Citrix Systems.

Career

Asprey’s professional background includes work in the IT industry with companies like Bradshaw and 3Com. At UCSC Silicon Valley Extension, he instructed and managed the Internet and web engineering curriculum, where he implemented one of the earliest operational examples of cloud computing. Subsequently, he joined Exodus Communications as director of strategic planning and co-established the company’s professional services division.

His initial entrepreneurial venture, started around 1993, was an early e-commerce enterprise highlighted in Entrepreneur magazine. This business shipped products to customers across ten countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and regions in Asia, positioning it among the first global e-commerce operations.

Asprey held the title of director of product management at Silicon Valley startup NetScaler before its acquisition by Citrix Systems. Following this, he served as vice president of marketing at Zeus Technology and later as vice president of technology and corporate development at Blue Coat Systems. He also took on the role of entrepreneur in residence at Trinity Ventures prior to co-founding Basis. Before dedicating himself fully to his own ventures, Asprey was vice president of cloud security at Trend Micro.

Bulletproof

In 2013, Asprey launched Bulletproof 360, Inc., followed by Bulletproof Nutrition Inc. in 2014. The Bulletproof brand originated with his creation of Bulletproof Coffee; he shared its recipe and associated health claims on his website while still employed at Trend Micro. Beginning in 2011, Asprey developed products such as "low-mold coffee beans," oils, and dietary supplements that were sold online. By 2013, he departed Trend Micro to devote his efforts entirely to Bulletproof.

Asprey is the host of Bulletproof Radio, a podcast which had accumulated over 75 million downloads by January 2019. Bulletproof Nutrition’s mission focuses on improving human performance and aligns with the Quantified Self movement that encourages personal health tracking and optimization.

In 2014, Asprey authored The Bulletproof Diet published by Rodale Books and inaugurated a Santa Monica café in 2015 offering Bulletproof Coffee alongside high-fat food options. That same year, he secured $9 million in funding from Trinity Ventures to grow his enterprise.

By mid-2018, Bulletproof 360 had obtained more than $40 million through equity and debt financing led by CAVU Venture Partners with contributions from Trinity Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank. In September 2019, Asprey resigned from his CEO position but continued as executive chairman. Two years later, in September 2021, he revealed plans to franchise his newest initiative, Upgrade Labs.

Bulletproof diet

The Bulletproof diet, created and promoted by Asprey, focuses on a nutritional plan rich in fats, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates, with Bulletproof Coffee—a product he developed—at its core. Drawing inspiration from Tibetan yak-butter tea experienced during his travels in Tibet, Asprey refined the concept and introduced it via his blog in 2009. This dietary approach advocates for the consumption of grass-fed beef and butter while categorizing soy, wheat, canned vegetables, and microwaved meals as harmful, despite a lack of scientific validation for these assertions. The regimen also incorporates elements of intermittent fasting.

Asprey has asserted that consuming Bulletproof Coffee alongside various "health hacks" increased his IQ by more than 20 points, though no evidence supports this claim. He stresses the importance of avoiding coffee contaminants such as mold toxins—specifically ochratoxin—which he claims contribute to inflammation and other health problems. His Bulletproof "Upgraded Coffee" is marketed as free from these toxins; however, experts point out that conventional coffee processing already eliminates mycotoxins, challenging the validity of Asprey’s statements regarding their health impact.

Reception

The Bulletproof diet has been criticized for its oversimplification and lack of scientific grounding. Asprey does not possess formal medical or nutritional qualifications. The British Dietetic Association classifies it as a fad diet. Nutrition expert Stephan Guyenet acknowledged some beneficial advice within the diet, like emphasizing whole foods, but largely dismissed it as based on superficial or disproven nutritional concepts.

Julia Belluz of Vox described the diet as emblematic of poor fad-diet literature, particularly disputing claims that dietary changes reduce inflammation or aid weight loss. She pointed out Asprey’s heavy reliance on animal experiments and small human studies to generalize health benefits inaccurately.

Dietitian Lynn Weaver regarded the diet as difficult to maintain and supported only by limited studies outside mainstream science. Nutrition professionals also reject claims that the diet improves IQ, attributing any increased alertness from Bulletproof Coffee simply to caffeine stimulation.

Asprey has been accused of making false health claims about his vitamin supplements for COVID-19 prevention and treatment. Scott Gavura criticized Asprey’s approach as selective use of science mixed with pseudoscience. In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission issued a warning to Asprey demanding he stop making unsupported coronavirus-related assertions.

In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to Bulletproof 360 stating that its products were not “generally recognized as safe and effective” for the uses advertised.

Personal life

In the early 2000s, Asprey experimented with following a vegan lifestyle for six months but eventually reverted to consuming animal-based foods. He has expressed criticism toward veganism, highlighting concerns such as vitamin B12 deficiency and difficulties in obtaining adequate high-quality protein, advocating instead for organic and grass-fed meat consumption.

Asprey aims to reach an age of 180 years and has invested over two million dollars into biohacking techniques including stem cell treatments, taking approximately 100 supplements daily, adhering to strict dietary protocols, using infrared light therapy and hyperbaric oxygen chambers, as well as specialized eyewear for screen use. He credits biohacking with enhancing his sexual health and maintained a journal documenting ejaculation frequency for one year.

He met his wife Lana Asprey, a medical doctor, at an anti-aging conference; they resided on Vancouver Island in Canada. Asprey attributes the Bulletproof diet with helping her manage polycystic ovary syndrome. The couple divorced in 2021, after which he moved from his 32-acre farm in Canada to Austin, Texas.

Politically, Asprey supported President Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services. He anticipated that Kennedy would ease FDA regulations ushering in a "new age of biohacking," while expressing distrust toward research funded by what he terms "Big Pharma," emphasizing personal autonomy in health decisions.

Bibliography

• The Better Baby Book (2013), co-written with Lana Asprey
• The Bulletproof Diet (2014)
• Headstrong (2017)
• Game Changers: What Leaders, Innovators, and Mavericks Do to Win at Life (2018)
• Super Human: The Bulletproof Plan to Age Backward and Maybe Even Live Forever (2019)
• Fast This Way: Burn Fat, Heal Inflammation, and Eat Like the High-Performing Human You Were Meant to Be (2021)
• Smarter Not Harder: The Biohacker’s Guide to Getting the Body and Mind You Want (2023)