Julian Brown GoFundMe sees surge in donations following viral disappearance concerns
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Julian Brown (Photo: Instagram/@naturejab)Atlanta-based inventor and influencer Julian Brown has sparked concerns after being inactive on social media for almost two weeks. Brown last shared a cryptic video on Instagram on July 9, 2025, suggesting he was "under attack" and in danger, prompting rumors that he had disappeared.
For context, Brown, an innovator and founder of Naturejab, went viral after he debuted his machine, Plastoline. He claimed that the invention could convert plastic waste into usable fuel much like gasoline or diesel. He has since amassed over 1.8 million followers on Instagram.
As the rumors spiraled, his mother, Nia Brown, shared a statement with the Daily Mail confirming her son was "safe." But added:
"I can confirm Julian is safe but in the best interest of his security I'm not able to provide any more information."
In light of the development, Julian Brown's GoFundMe campaign, started in April 2025, saw a surge in donations. The inventor created the page to help fund his solar-powered plastic-to-fuel device. The campaign has already raised over $35,000, more than twice its original goal of $16,000.
What happened to Julian Brown?
In his GoFundMe campaign, Julian Brown explained he was a "self-taught" inventor who had been turning plastic into fuel for the last five years. He added that he now needed funds to create a "continuous, solar-powered, microwave pyrolysis reactor."
He shared the various iterations of his "pyrolysis" machines he made in homes of creating a "better future for all generations of earth." He added:
"This shows the long term vision and goal I have committed myself to since the beginning, and how operating my machines off of solar was an inevitable occurrence."
Julian Brown detailed that last year he "got into an explosion" and suffered second-degree burns that needed surgery. It also resulted in him having to move his operations to a spot four hours away from his home. The inventor continued:
"I currently drive 4 hours to and from every time I wish to work on or operate my machine. This shows my true commitment to the cause."
Brown also described the output goals of his solar-powered machine before listing the parts (alongside their costs) needed to build it.
In May 2025, the innovator appeared on the Pattrn Show on the Weather Channel. Forbes reporter Marshall Shepherd later interviewed Julian Brown about his invention, where he revealed Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, gave him a $100,000 grant to help with his pyrolysis machine. Brown explained he hoped to attract larger funding to help scale his work.
However, things seemingly took a turn last month. On June 14, Brown took to his Instagram to share a post claiming a helicopter had been circling him and shining a spotlight on him every time it flew past him. The post included footage where the chopper could be heard. Julian Brown claimed he was in Alabama (where he works on his reactor) at the time.
In a separate post (June 25), he told his followers, "I know that I’m not going to live long, and that’s why I put every day, every hour, every minute, into building, into growing."
Earlier this month, the innovator shared a video where he claimed there was "some very, very odd stuff going on." He alleged he was under attack in many different ways and even warned his fans to be careful.
In a statement made to Daily Mail, Julian Brown's mother, Nia, noted that her son was "safe" but did not elaborate further for his "security." Further, Newsweek, citing Atlanta PD, relayed that they were not investigating any missing person by Julian's name.
No further developments have been observed as of this writing.
TOPICS: Julian Brown, Atlanta, GoFundMe, influencer