Meet the billionaire partnering with celebs like Sophie Turner and Paris Hilton to bring back extinct animals

Billionaire entrepreneur Ben Lamm has been joined by actress Sophie Turner and a roster of celebrity supporters to unveil the latest breakthroughs from Colossal Biosciences, the company leading the charge in “de-extinction” science.

Turner, who rose to fame as Sansa Stark in HBO’s Game of Thrones, now serves on Colossal’s Cultural Advisory Board alongside stars like Paris Hilton and Tiger Woods.

Speaking before a packed audience, she and Lamm revealed that the company has successfully brought back the dire wolf, an apex predator that roamed North America thousands of years ago.

“I’ve always been drawn to stories of transformation,” Turner told the crowd. “Working with Colossal feels like bringing a bit of fantasy to life.”

Lamm said Turner’s role goes beyond star power.

“We’re transforming not just science, but the planet,” he said. “Having ambassadors like Sophie helps us accelerate that mission.”

Founded to restore extinct species and repair damaged ecosystems, Colossal has become a focal point for both scientific innovation and celebrity investment.

Director Peter Jackson, NFL legend Tom Brady, and other A-listers are among those backing its mission. While its ambitious goal of reviving the woolly mammoth continues to make headlines, the company used the London event to debut another milestone — the “woolly mouse.”

More than a novelty, the genetically engineered rodent demonstrates Colossal’s ability to reintroduce complex traits from extinct species.

“It’s not about exact cloning,” he said. “You can’t clone an extinct species, but you can engineer them by restoring core genes and traits — and make them better suited for today’s environment.”

Chief Science Officer Beth Shapiro added that the woolly mouse project confirms the effectiveness of combining ancient DNA with genetic variation from living populations.

“It shows our approach to multiplex gene editing works,” she said.

While some scientists remain skeptical, Lamm noted that several early critics are now collaborators.

“We’ve always run toward criticism,” he said. “The proof will come in the years ahead with what we’re able to deliver.”

For Turner, the work has been a natural extension of her creative background. Fans watched her shift from scripted fantasy to real-world science advocacy during panel discussions on biodiversity loss, genetic engineering, and conservation.

With Earth’s sixth mass extinction underway — driven largely by human activity — Colossal positions itself as a rare source of optimism. “This is about restoring the past, preserving the present, and protecting the future,” Lamm said.