Epstein-Linked Longevity Guru Peter Attia Leaves David Protein, and His Own Startup ‘Won’t Comment’

The founder of David Protein, the company behind a popular high-protein nutrition bar, announced on X on Monday that longevity physician Peter Attia “has stepped down from his role as Chief Science Officer at David.”

Dr. Peter Attia has stepped down from his role as Chief Science Officer at David. We remain focused on serving our customers. — Peter Rahal (@PeterRahal) February 3, 2026

The announcement follows the release of more than 1,700 documents, including email correspondence, made public on Friday as part of a large disclosure tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to The New York Times. Attia’s name appeared throughout the materials. He had served on David Protein’s executive team and was also an early investor in the company.

Attia, a Canadian-American physician, is one of the most prominent figures in the longevity and preventive health space. He is best known for his bestselling book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity and his long-running podcast, now in its seventh year, which focuses on health optimisation strategies. Just last month, Attia was also hired as a contributor to CBS.

New York-based David Protein, founded three years ago, raised a $75 million Series A round in May of last year, led by Greenoaks and including Valour Equity Partners. The company has seen rapid growth since launching its flagship protein bar in September 2024. The product is marketed as containing 28 grams of protein, zero sugar, and 150 calories.

In a lengthy post on X, Attia said he was “ashamed” of some of the crude language contained in his emails with Epstein. However, he stated that he was not involved in any criminal activity and said he never visited Epstein’s island or ttravelledon Epstein’s private aircraft. Attia also detailed how he initially met Epstein and explained why he continued to associate with him even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. 

The following email is what I sent my team last night. I sent a similar version to my patients, also.

***

You’ve put your trust, your credibility, and your hard work into what we have built together, and I take that responsibility seriously. You deserve a complete and honest… — Peter Attia (@PeterAttiaMD) February 2, 2026

The fallout appears to extend beyond David Protein. Biograph, a healthcare testing and longevity startup that Attia co-founded with entrepreneur John Hering, also seems to be distancing itself from the physician.

Biograph declined to comment on Attia’s current involvement with the company or on changes made to its website. Pages that previously mentioned Attia either no longer include his name or now return a “file not found” error.

Biograph emerged from stealth about a year ago, as previously reported by TechCrunch. The startup is backed by investors including Vy Capital, Human Capital, Alpha Wave, and WndrCo, as well as angel investors such as Balaji Srinivasan.

Like many concierge medical service companies, Biograph offers premium preventive health services to subscribers, with annual costs ranging from $7,500 to $15,000. Attia had previously been listed as a co-founder in company press releases and on its website.