Peter Attia built his brand on helping people live longer. Now, his career may be shorter for it.
The 52-year-old physician and bestselling author resigned from CBS News on 23 February after his name appeared more than 1,700 times in the US Department of Justice's release of Jeffrey Epstein files.
The resignation came just one day after John Oliver mocked CBS on 'Last Week Tonight' for keeping Attia on the payroll, saying the network had 'lower standards than a protein bar company,' according to TV Insider.
For millions of Americans, Attia is the voice of longevity science. His podcast, 'The Peter Attia Drive', has racked up over 100 million downloads. His 2023 book 'Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity' sold more than three million copies and hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list.
His estimated net worth now sits between $10 million and $30 million (£7.4 million and £22 million), drawn from book royalties, podcast sponsorships, speaking fees, and his premium medical practice Early Medical in Austin, Texas. He lives there with his wife Jill and their three children.
CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss had recruited Attia just weeks before the Epstein files dropped on 30 January. He was part of a high-profile stable of contributors that included neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and historian Niall Ferguson. The timing could not have been worse.
The correspondence spans from 2014 to 2019 and includes exchanges that Attia himself has called 'embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible'.
One 2015 email stands out. Attia wrote to Epstein: 'You know the biggest problem with becoming friends with you? The life you lead is so outrageous, and yet I can't tell a soul.'
Another exchange, with the subject line 'Got a fresh shipment', prompted Epstein to reply 'me too' alongside a photograph of an adult woman.
Attia later claimed on X that his original message referred to metformin medication. In 2016, he sent Epstein's assistant a message saying he experienced 'withdrawal' when he did not see the convicted sex offender.
Source: International Business Times UK
