A persistent online hoax or exaggerated story claims a “richest man” was cryogenically frozen with plans to be revived after 50 years (often tied to 2017). This refers to James Hiram Bedford, a psychology professor who became the first person cryopreserved in 1967—but he wasn’t the richest man in America, and no revival has occurred.
Who Was James Bedford?
Born in 1893, Bedford was a University of California professor and author on vocational guidance. Described in some viral posts as “wealthy” or “richest,” he left funds for cryonics but wasn’t a billionaire. Diagnosed with terminal kidney cancer in 1966, he contacted early cryonics pioneers after reading about the concept.
On January 12, 1967, hours after death, his body was injected with cryoprotectants, packed in dry ice, and later stored in liquid nitrogen. Primitive methods caused some damage, but he’s considered well-preserved for the era.
His Journey Through Cryonics
Bedford’s dewar (storage tank) moved multiple times due to facility issues and legal battles. In 1991, Alcor Life Extension Foundation transferred him to modern storage. A brief exam showed external cracking but overall integrity.
As of 2025 (nearly 59 years later), Bedford remains at Alcor in Scottsdale, Arizona—one of over 200 patients awaiting future revival. No “2017 awakening” happened; viral claims of revival are false.
The Reality of Cryonics Revival
No human has been revived from cryopreservation. Techniques have improved (vitrification avoids ice damage), but reanimation requires future nanotechnology or medicine to repair freezing harm and underlying death causes. Critics call it pseudoscience; proponents see it as a long-shot bet on progress.
Bedford pioneered cryonics, but the “richest man revived after 50 years” is misinformation. His body awaits indefinitely—no second life yet.