X-Message-Number: 12644
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 18:26:41 -0400
From: Saul Kent <>
Subject: Hope For Cryonics Research

        In msg. #12636, John Grigg asked:

        >  I do not know just how much money 21CM 
>  could raise by trading it's shares.  Does anyone have 
>  an estimate?  I seriously wonder whether enough 
>  money would be raised for major research into rever-
>  sible suspension for the brain. And remember, once 
>  they are held accountable to shareholders they may 
>  be influenced to not invest so much money and effort 
>  into cryonic brain suspension research.

        I believe 21st Century Medicine (21CM) could 
become a public company right now, but the company 
is first going to attempt to attract new capital by offering 
sale of its stock to selected private investors.  We are 
taking this approach for the following reasons:

        1)  Because we want other cryonicists to have 
a substantial financial stake in the company under better 
terms than will be available when 21CM goes public. This 
should help guide the company in the direction envisioned 
by its founders, and could enable these investors to profit
substantially if the company succeeds.

        2)  Because we think that by waiting a couple of 
years or more before moving towards becoming a public 
company,  21CM will have the opportunity of improving its 
image to the investment community.  We'd like 21CM to 
have more significant research, business, and PR suc-
cess than we've had to date before going public. This 
will, hopefully, enable us to raise more money at a 
lower share price than would be possible today.

        As far as the question of how much money 
21CM will be able to raise from outside investors. That 
depends largely on two factors:  how much success we 
have in research and business and how well we sell 
ourselves to the investment community.  

        We will probably be seeking somewhere around
$5 million in our private placement, which should be ready
early in the year 2000.  If and when we are able to go public, 
it's hard to predict how much we will be able (or want) to raise. 
I think it will be possible for us to raise anywhere between $10 
and $100 million through a public offering(s), depending upon 
our success in the interim, and the receptiveness of the stock
market to new public offerings at the time.

        One other matter.  Grigg expressed his concern
about 21CM being held accountable to shareholders who
do not want to "invest so much money and effort into brain
cryopreservation research."  I want to make it very clear that 
21CM management is already being "accountable" to such 
shareholders (even before they exist) by *not* funding brain
cryopreservation (or other cryonics research) at this time,
and by making it clear that the company will not fund brain
cryopreservation unless and until it becomes prudent to do
so from a business point of view.

        At this time, I don't think it is reasonable or justified
for any company that expects to solicit mainstream investors 
to fund brain cryopreservation research.  As a result, there are
no plans for 21CM or Critical Care Research (CCR)  to fund 
this type of research.  However, both these companies are
quite willing to conduct such research under contract with 
cryonics companies, such as BioTransport (BioT) and Ad-
vanced BioSciences (ABS), or with any other cryonics organ-
ization.  ABS will, indeed, be funding brain cryopreservation 
research in the near future, and BioT is considering funding 
some types of cryonics research.

        Among the advantages to cryonicists of having
only companies owned by cryonicists funding cryonics
research is the assurance that all the research conducted
by such companies will be soley for cryonics purposes. 
Another advantage will be that these companies will own 
the intellectual property they develop for cryonics purposes, 
and will thus be able to use it in the manner that most 
benefits themselves (and other cryonicists).

        Later in his message, Grigg wrote:

        >  Our only hope at this point is Saul Kent and 
>  William Faloon who have put their money where there 
>  mouth is.

        First, a correction.  The money that has been in-
vested to date in 21CM, CCR, BioT and ABS that has been
attributed to Saul Kent and William Faloon has *not* been
Kent and Faloon's money, but rather the investments of a 
non-profit corporation over which they have some degree 
of influence.

        If you (and other cryonicists) really believe that
Saul Kent and William Faloon are your "only hope", you'd
better take whatever steps you can to spread that hope
among others, so that your hopes don't disappear if 
something happens to them!  Later in your message, 
you write the following:

        >  I have actually thought of writing to the rich 
>  and powerful myself trying to get them interesting in 
>  putting money into cryonics research.  I realize this is 
>  a long-shot and I have had it pointed out to me that 
>  the very wealthy are concerned obout not being seen 
>  as "kooky" by their peers and the public and so giving 
>  to cryonics could be seen in a negative light.  Also the 
>  very wealthy tend to be very conservative when it 
>  comes to giving money despite the fact they have so 
>  much. Lastly, just contacting them can be very difficult 
>  because usually they have an aid who screens their
>  mail.

>  Despite all these reasons to not try I still think that if 
>  even one very wealthy individual is convinced then it 
>  would be worth it.  As the old saying goes, "nothing 
>  ventured, nothing gained".

        This is yet another example of what I've seen
repeatedly in the history of the cryonics movement, and
is symptomic of a serious misperception in the move-
ment.  Every now and then someone (such as Mr. Grigg) 
proposes that we reach out to very wealthy people out-
side the cryonics community to see if they are interested
in funding cryonics research or some other cryonics pro-
ject.  Invariably, someone points out that the possibility of
finding, getting the attention of, and persuding wealthy non-
cryonicists to invest big bucks in cryonics is exceedingly
small. 

        I agree with this assessment, but I'm at my wits
end to fathom why people don't see (even after I tell them
repeatedly) that there already ARE very wealthy people in the
cryonics community, and that it makes far more sense to try
to persuade THEM to invest heavily in cryonics than to attempt
to get outsiders to do so!  Moreover, the best way of persuad-
ing wealthy people to invest in anything is to have friends of
theirs (who are also wealthy) try to persuade them to do so.

        That's certainly going to be my approach in seek-
ing to raise money for cryonics research.  I'm going to go to 
wealthy cryonicists to ask them to invest in cryonics research 
and to help persuade their wealthy friends to do the same. 

        I'm also going to give not so wealthy cryonicists 
a chance to invest in cryonics research.  As I've said before,
we'll find out soon enough to what extent the cryonics com-
munity is willing put their money where their allegedly life-
loving mouths are.

---Saul Kent    

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