{
  "id": 6145777,
  "title": "'She Lost Her Sight. Her Billionaire Father Bet On a Daring New Treatment.'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/she-lost-her-sight-her-billionaire-father-bet-on-a-daring-new",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-07T14:34:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Slashdot",
    "slug": "slashdot",
    "url": "https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/09/07/0036234/she-lost-her-sight-her-billionaire-father-bet-on-a-daring-new-treatment"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In February, billionaire Bill Ackman's 26-year-old daughter Lucy suffered a brain hemorrhage in her Brooklyn apartment, leaving her unable to move, speak or see, according to the Washington Post. Ackman, however, did not let the situation deter him. A father with deep pockets and a reputation as a \"Mr. Fix-It,\" he immediately sprung into action. He arranged Lucy's top-tier care at New York City's Mt. Sinai Hospital and enlisted the help of a global network of influential friends. Utilizing his daughter's situation to push for progress in medical research, Ackman vowed to invest over $400 million in launching an institute dedicated to longevity and brain health.\n\nIn a significant development, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization in May for Lucy's medical team to transplant mitochondria - the energy-producing components of human cells - from her leg muscle to her eyes. This experimental treatment aimed to promote healing in Lucy's optic nerves and potentially restore her vision. Ackman's experience underscores the growing influence of the ultra-wealthy in supporting expensive medical trials of longevity treatments and other innovative therapies, as federal funding for science dwindles under the second Trump administration.\n\nAckman's story is deeply personal, driven by his daughter's medical emergency. The emphasis on longevity aligns with similar pursuits by notable figures such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who have backed start-ups aiming to add years to the human lifespan through cellular reprogramming. Other influential investors, including billionaire Peter Thiel, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, are also heavily involved in life-extension methods and efforts to alter the biology of aging.\n\nMitochondrial transplantation, the therapy given to Lucy, has garnered significant attention from researchers who believe that mitochondria may play a crucial role in reversing some of the effects of aging. Mitochondria, traditionally known for converting food into energy, have recently revealed additional functions, such as managing damaged cells. This discovery has sparked excitement among longevity-focused scientists like Daria Mochly-Rosen, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, who believes that focusing on mitochondrial health could be a way to address various human diseases, including aging itself.",
  "summary": "\"Billionaire Bill Ackman's life was upended this February when his 26-year-old daughter collapsed in her Brooklyn apartment, suffering a brain hemorrhage that would render her unable to move, speak or see,\" writes the Washingon Post. But then... The hedge fund manager did what any good father would do — at least, any father with vast financial resources and what friends describe as a \"Mr. Fix-It\"…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}