Elizabeth Holmes and the Rise and Fall of Theranos: A Blood-Testing Dream Built on Deception

In 2014, at the TedMed conference, 30-year-old Elizabeth Holmes eloquently recounted her story of blood testing.

Hailed as the world’s youngest and most beautiful female billionaire, she dropped out of Stanford University at age 19 and single-handedly built from scratch Theranos, a blood-testing company now valued at $9 billion.

She successfully transformed the traditional method of drawing multiple tubes of blood for testing into a process that requires only a single drop of blood.



She not only successfully brought her mentor, Stanford Dean Roberson, under her wing, but also recruited an array of heavyweights including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of Defense William Perry, former Senate Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist, former Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sam Nunn, and former CEO and Chairman of Wells Fargo Richard Kovacevich, assembling an exceptionally star-studded team.

On stage, she eloquently shared her vision for blood testing medicine, while denouncing the current fear-inducing, painful, costly, and technologically outdated blood testing methods, as well as the lack of patients’ right to access their own health information.

She said she didn’t have the chance to say goodbye to her beloved uncle; by the time his cancer was detected, it was already too late. Yet many such diseases can be detected early and prevented through “high-quality, affordable” blood tests.

She speaks of her own regrets, and also of the regrets of countless others.



She said that in her eyes, the world should be one where no one has to hastily say goodbye to their loved ones.

Everyone, regardless of wealth or poverty, whether living amidst neon lights or in a remote corner, by day or by night, can access their own health information when needed.

"She said she devoted her entire life to overturning the traditional paradigm of medical blood testing."

Her voice was low yet resonant and powerful; if you don’t believe it, just listen.