For a time, Elizabeth Holmes was a media darling. The college dropout who started her blood-testing company Theranos at 19 graced the cover of magazines such as Forbes, Fortune, and Inc. in her signature black turtleneck to help cultivate her image as “the next Steve Jobs.” She was upheld as a rare female founder who’d raised significant sums of capital to drive her startup towards an eye-popping $9 billion valuation.
It was an eventful week in the closely-watched trial of Elizabeth Holmes, with witnesses who included scientists, medical professionals, a patient and even the former US Secretary of Defense laying out how the promise of Holmes’ blood testing company Theranos fell apart.
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter John Carreyrou is responsible for breaking open the story of Theranos six years ago, prompting broader scrutiny into blood testing startup that would land its CEO and founder Elizabeth Holmes in a federal courtroom over criminal fraud charges.