Zoltan Istvan

BIO

Zoltan Istvan is an American transhumanist, futurist, journalist, and political figure renowned for his advocacy of using science and technology to enhance human capabilities and extend life. A graduate of Columbia University with a degree in Philosophy and Religion, Istvan began his career as a journalist for the National Geographic Channel, travelling to over 100 countries and covering various global issues. He gained prominence with his 2013 science fiction novel, The Transhumanist Wager, which explores themes of life extension and human enhancement. Istvan founded the Transhumanist Party in 2014 and ran as its presidential candidate in 2016, promoting a platform centred on science, technology, and health. His 2015 Immortality Bus tour—a cross-country campaign in a bus shaped like a coffin—aimed to raise awareness about transhumanism and the potential to overcome death through technology.

SKILLS

Transhumanism Advocacy | Futurism | Science Communication | Political Campaigning | Public Speaking | Journalism | Bioethics​

ACHIEVEMENTS

+ Founder of the Transhumanist Party + US Presidential Candidate (2016) + Author of The Transhumanist Wager, a bestseller in philosophical science fiction + Conducted the Immortality Bus tour to promote life extension technologies + Former journalist for National Geographic Channel, reporting from over 100 countries + Featured in major media outlets including The New York Times, Wired, and Newsweek + Subject of the documentary Immortality or Bust, chronicling his presidential campaign + Advocate for the Transhumanist Bill of Rights, proposing legal rights for future AI and enhanced humans + Speaker at institutions such as the World Bank and the Financial Times Camp Alphaville + Consulted for the U.S. Navy on topics related to human enhancement + Pioneered the extreme sport of volcano boarding