From Young Billionaire to Prison: The Story of Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos Scam
Elizabeth Holmes was born in 1984 in Washington, D.C., and was determined to make a name for herself from an early age. In 2002, she went to Stanford University to study chemical engineering, but dropped out at just 19 years old to start a blood-testing startup named Theranos. Holmes promised to change healthcare forever. She claimed she had built a small machine called the “Edison” that could run hundreds of medical tests using only a few drops of blood from a quick finger prick. Dressed in black turtlenecks like Apple’s Steve Jobs, she charmed famous politicians, retired military generals, and wealthy business leaders. She raised over $700 million from rich investors, turning Theranos into a $9 billion company and striking big deals with major pharmacy chains like Walgreens. ...