Elizabeth Holmes
Founder of Theranos and Stanford University dropout who was convicted of fraud related to the company's blood-testing technology. Her case is regarded as a landmark example of fraudulent conduct in Silicon Valley technology entrepreneurship.
Timeline (last 90 days)
A 2015 Wall Street Journal investigation exposed Theranos's technology fraud, the company subsequently collapsed, and Holmes was sentenced to prison for fraud.
Theranos was a blood testing company founded by Elizabeth Holmes in 2003 that claimed it could run hundreds of tests from a single drop of blood and was once valued at as much as $9 billion.
The three-hour documentary about Elizabeth Holmes directed by Nathan Fielder scored the best opening weekend for a documentary in nearly 20 years, earning $15 million in its first weekend and placing second at the box office, behind only "Street Fighter."
The documentary 'You Can See Everything' achieved the second-highest opening weekend in documentary film history.
The core tension in the Holmes case lies in the gap between the ideal narrative and commercial reality: a company that claimed to complete hundreds of tests with a small amount of blood once received the dual endorsement of capital and the media.
Theranos's technological promises proved unfounded and became the factual basis for subsequent investigative reporting, regulatory intervention and criminal trials.
In the Theranos case, Holmes's defense team tried to place her behavior within the cultural tradition of "fake it till you make it," but prosecutors pointed out that when the company knew the technology could not deliver yet still provided erroneous test results to patients, it had already crossed the legal line into fraud.
Theranos's board included former secretaries of state and retired generals, the media was happy to report the "female Steve Jobs" narrative, and investors actively loosened their due diligence.
In 2003, 19-year-old Elizabeth Holmes dropped out of Stanford to found Theranos, claiming to have developed the 'Edison' device that could complete hundreds of tests with just a finger-prick drop of blood.
In the attention economy, Holmes and Fielder are both extreme cases — one trades lies for trust, the other trades performance for laughter.
21 more timeline events
All Facts (20)
Nathan Fielder produced a documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.
60%UnverifiedHolmes's story has previously been adapted into the HBO documentary "The Inventor" and the Hulu series "The Dropout."
60%UnverifiedTheranos was a blood testing company founded by Elizabeth Holmes in 2003 that claimed it could run hundreds of tests from a single drop of blood and was once valued at as much as $9 billion.
50%UnverifiedThe three-hour documentary about Elizabeth Holmes directed by Nathan Fielder scored the best opening weekend for a documentary in nearly 20 years, earning $15 million in its first weekend and placing second at the box office, behind only "Street Fighter."
50%UnverifiedA 2015 Wall Street Journal investigation exposed Theranos's technology fraud, the company subsequently collapsed, and Holmes was sentenced to prison for fraud.
50%UnverifiedThe core tension in the Holmes case lies in the gap between the ideal narrative and commercial reality: a company that claimed to complete hundreds of tests with a small amount of blood once received the dual endorsement of capital and the media.
50%UnverifiedTheranos's technological promises proved unfounded and became the factual basis for subsequent investigative reporting, regulatory intervention and criminal trials.
50%UnverifiedThe documentary 'You Can See Everything' achieved the second-highest opening weekend in documentary film history.
50%UnverifiedTheranos's board included former secretaries of state and retired generals, the media was happy to report the "female Steve Jobs" narrative, and investors actively loosened their due diligence.
50%UnverifiedIn 2003, 19-year-old Elizabeth Holmes dropped out of Stanford to found Theranos, claiming to have developed the 'Edison' device that could complete hundreds of tests with just a finger-prick drop of blood.
50%UnverifiedIn the attention economy, Holmes and Fielder are both extreme cases — one trades lies for trust, the other trades performance for laughter.
50%UnverifiedHolmes's fraud is destructive and caused real harm; Fielder's performance is constructive, provoking reflection on everyday lies through exaggeration and dislocation.
50%UnverifiedTheranos was once valued at as much as 9 billion US dollars, and Elizabeth Holmes appeared on the cover of Forbes and was compared to 'the next Steve Jobs'.
50%UnverifiedElizabeth Holmes was convicted over the Theranos blood-testing fraud, and in 2022 was sentenced to more than 11 years for four counts of fraud.
50%UnverifiedTheranos, founded by Elizabeth Holmes, claimed to be able to perform hundreds of tests with just a few drops of blood and was once valued at billions of dollars.
50%UnverifiedTheranos ultimately collapsed due to technology fraud, and Holmes was convicted and imprisoned.
50%UnverifiedElizabeth Holmes founded blood-testing company Theranos in 2003, and the company was once valued as high as $9 billion.
50%UnverifiedElizabeth Holmes was imprisoned for scientific fraud.
50%UnverifiedTheranos was founded in 2003 by Elizabeth Holmes, who was a 19-year-old Stanford dropout at the time.
50%UnverifiedElizabeth Holmes is currently serving her sentence at the Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Bryan, Texas, and is expected to be released in 2032.
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