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With less than a year to go before he breaks into the all-time top 10, João is within striking distance of the historical peak held by Jiroemon Kimura. While he remains several years younger than the world’s oldest living person—England’s Ethel Caterham, who is over three years his senior—João’s achievement remains a marvel of human resilience.
Forged in the Fields
João’s story began in 1912, born into a farming family in the rugged interior of Brazil. His life was defined by the rhythm of the seasons and the demands of the land from the moment he could walk. As a young child, he was already entrenched in the daily labor of caring for livestock and harvesting fruit
Farming was not just a job for João; it was a lifeline. Through decades of punishing droughts and the unpredictable conditions of rural Brazil, he cultivated crops of corn and beans while raising a diverse array of livestock, including cattle, goats, pigs, and chickens. This life of persistence allowed him to anchor a massive family tree that today includes six living children, 22 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
Now residing in a nursing home primarily due to vision impairment, João still finds joy in a disciplined diet of simple, traditional pleasures: morning coffee, fresh fruit, brown sugar, and free-range chicken.
The Secret: Social Connectivity
While researchers look for a measurable formula—perhaps in the “good genes” that scientists cited for the late 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera—João Neto points to a different kind of nourishment.
“I’ve always had loved ones nearby,” he says, explaining that his primary secret is simply having been surrounded by “good people” throughout the entirety of his 113 years.
His longevity appears to be a byproduct of a lifetime of routine, emotional resilience, and radical simplicity. While the idea of “eternal life” remains a philosophical question far beyond the reach of modern medicine, João’s life suggests that happiness and a positive outlook are the most tangible tools we have.
Whether it’s Maria Branyas Morera’s yogurt or João’s “good people,” the lesson from our oldest survivors is clear: while science works on the “how” of living forever, these centenarians have already mastered the “why” of living well.
