In an era where chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart conditions claim millions of lives and trillions of dollars annually, few voices cut through the noise with the urgency and insider perspective of Calley Means. At 40 years old, this American entrepreneur has transformed from a behind-the-scenes consultant for Big Food and Big Pharma into a fierce advocate for preventive health, co-founder of innovative wellness startups, and a key architect of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement—his journey—from lobbying for the very industries he now critiques to advising the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—embodies a radical pivot: redirecting healthcare incentives from treating sickness to fostering metabolic vitality.
Born on September 28, 1985, in Half Moon Bay, California, Means grew up in a family steeped in public service and intellectual rigor. The son of Grady E. Means, a former advisor to Vice President Walter Mondale and health policy expert, and Gayle B. Means, Calley was raised alongside his younger sister, Dr. Casey Means, a Stanford-trained physician turned functional medicine pioneer. Their coastal upbringing, just a short drive from Silicon Valley’s innovation hubs, instilled an early appreciation for blending policy, business, and science. Means attended the prestigious Georgetown Preparatory School before earning a degree from an undisclosed undergraduate program and later an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he honed his strategic acumen.
Means’ early career was a whirlwind through Washington’s power corridors. In 2005, as a fresh-faced intern at the White House under President George W. Bush, he glimpsed the machinery of governance. He soon advanced to roles such as Research Analyst at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he advised government clients on operational strategy. By 2011, he had joined Edelman, the global communications firm, rising from Account Supervisor to Operations Strategy lead. It was here, consulting for food giants like Coca-Cola and pharmaceutical powerhouses, that Means claims to have witnessed the dark underbelly of corporate influence on public health. “Every lever of our system profits when people are sick,” he often says, a mantra born from those years. Though he describes himself as a former lobbyist, Means has never formally registered as one under U.S. law—a detail that has fueled both his narrative of insider reform and later criticisms.
The pivot came in the mid-2010s. In 2015, Means dove into the tech world as part of the operations strategy team at Zenefits, a HR software unicorn navigating rapid growth and regulatory scrutiny. But it was his foray into e-commerce that showcased his entrepreneurial flair. In 2016, he co-founded Anomalie, a custom wedding dress platform that leveraged data analytics to disrupt the bridal industry. The company raised millions in venture capital and was acquired in 2020, allowing Means to exit profitably and redirect his energies toward health. On a personal note, Means married Leslie Michelle Voorhees, a fellow Harvard MBA and Anomalie co-founder, on New Year’s Eve 2017 in Portland, Oregon. The couple welcomed their son, Roark, in February 2022, an event that amplified Means’ focus on generational health legacies.
TrueMed, launched in September 2022 from Tempe, Arizona, became the cornerstone of Means’ redemption arc. As co-founder and CEO, he built a platform that empowers users to spend tax-advantaged funds—like Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)—on preventive wellness items: organic groceries, gym memberships, saunas, supplements, and even wellness coaching. TrueMed issues “letters of medical necessity” from licensed physicians to qualify these expenses, aiming to shift the $4.5 trillion U.S. healthcare budget from reactive “sick-care” to proactive metabolic health. “We’re putting food at the center of medicine,” Means declared in a 2022 X post announcing the venture. The company has attracted investment from health-focused VCs. It aligns with Means’ broader mission: incentivizing habits such as nutritious eating, exercise, sleep, and stress management to combat the root causes of disease.
Means’ influence exploded in 2024 with the release of Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health, co-authored with Dr. Casey Means. The New York Times bestseller argues that mitochondrial dysfunction—fueled by ultra-processed foods and sedentary lifestyles—underpins 90% of chronic illnesses, from Alzheimer’s to infertility. Backed by emerging science on cellular energy, the book sold hundreds of thousands of copies. It landed the siblings on high-profile platforms: a record-breaking episode of The Tucker Carlson Show (the most-shared Apple Podcast of 2024), The Joe Rogan Experience, and The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman. Their message resonated amid post-pandemic health reckonings, positioning the Means as thought leaders in the wellness space.
This momentum propelled Means into politics. As a close advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s 2024 presidential campaign, he helped craft the MAHA platform, emphasizing nutrition over pharmaceuticals and corporate accountability. Following Kennedy’s endorsement of Donald Trump and subsequent nomination as HHS Secretary, Means served as a Special Government Employee (SGE) in early 2025 before ascending to Senior Advisor—a role he continues to hold as of late 2025. In this capacity, he coordinated a landmark presidential commission report on children’s chronic diseases, highlighting how ultra-processed foods and environmental toxins have led to a “silent epidemic” of obesity (affecting 20% of U.S. kids) and mental health crises. Means has pushed policies to subsidize healthy school lunches, regulate food additives, and expand HSA eligibility—initiatives that could funnel billions toward prevention.
Yet, Means’ ascent has not been without turbulence. Critics, including former colleagues and journalists, question the veracity of his “whistleblower” origin story. A six-month Vanity Fair investigation in May 2025 alleged Means embellished his lobbying tenure, claiming he never directly worked for Coca-Cola or as a registered pharma lobbyist—assertions his ex-boss Steve Schmidt echoed, calling him an “opportunist peddling junk science.” has amplified these doubts, with users labeling him a “wellness profiteer” whose TrueMed model skirts IRS rules and benefits from his HHS perch. Biohackers and skeptics point to his family’s ties—his father’s Rockefeller connections and Casey’s mentors—as evidence of establishment entanglements rather than rebellion. Means has dismissed these as smears from vested interests, insisting his reforms threaten trillion-dollar empires.
Despite the controversy, Means’s impact is undeniable. With over 313,000 followers on X (@calleymeans
), where he shares daily health insights and policy critiques, he has mobilized a grassroots MAHA army. His estimated net worth, hovering around $20 million from exits like Anomalie and TrueMed equity, funds a lifestyle of advocacy over opulence. As HHS evolves under Kennedy, Means remains at the vanguard, betting that empowering individuals with “good energy” can heal a nation.
In a system where sickness pays the bills, Calley Means is rewriting the ledger—one metabolic habit at a time. Whether he’s a visionary reformer or a savvy marketer, his story challenges us all: What if proper health isn’t prescribed, but invested in?
