GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 4th Feb. Tech millionaire Bryan Johnson, known for his anti-ageing research, abruptly walked out of a podcast recording with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath midway, citing poor air quality. Johnson claimed the pollution caused his skin to break out in a rash and left his eyes and throat burning.
During his recent visit to India, the 47-year-old was recording an episode for Kamath’s podcast “WTF” at a five-star hotel equipped with an air purifier. Despite wearing an N95 mask, he was unable to tolerate the air quality in the room, which had an AQI of around 120. At one point, he even remarked, “I can’t see you over there,” when asked about India’s air pollution.
Confirming the incident on X, Johnson wrote, “When in India, I did end this podcast early due to the bad air quality.” While praising Kamath as a “gracious host,” he explained that the room was circulating outside air, making his air purifier ineffective. By the time he left, the indoor AQI had climbed to 130, with PM2.5 levels at 75 micrograms per cubic meter—equivalent to smoking 3.4 cigarettes over 24 hours.
Johnson further noted that after just three days in India, he developed a rash along with persistent eye and throat irritation. He criticized how deeply normalised air pollution has become in India. “People were outside running. Babies and small children exposed from birth. No one wore a mask, which can significantly decrease exposure. It was so confusing,” he wrote.
He also questioned why India’s leadership had not declared air pollution a “national emergency,” citing studies that suggest improving air quality would have a greater impact on public health than curing all cancers.
Drawing a comparison, Johnson said pollution was India’s silent crisis, while obesity was America’s. “When I returned to the US, my eyes were fresh to see what is normalised to me. I saw obesity everywhere. 42.4% of Americans are obese, and because I was around it all the time, I had been mostly oblivious to it,” he remarked.
Last month, Johnson shared tips on tackling air pollution in India, claiming that solving the crisis would save more lives than curing cancer. His associate demonstrated protective measures in Mumbai, including using portable air quality monitors, keeping car windows shut, wearing N96 masks, and carrying portable air purifiers.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revoked Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as Delhi’s AQI dropped below 300.
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