Theranos emails

The Theranos emails!

In 2015, the Wall Street Journal published a series of investigative articles exposing the alleged fraud and deceit of Theranos, a biotech company founded by Elizabeth Holmes. The articles were based on a cache of internal emails, documents, and interviews with former employees and experts.

The emails, which were obtained by the WSJ, revealed a culture of secrecy, deception, and intimidation within Theranos. They showed that the company's claims about its technology and business were often exaggerated or false, and that Holmes and other executives were aware of the problems but chose to ignore or cover them up.

Some of the most notable emails include:

  1. The "Edison" email: In 2013, Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes sent an email to her team, boasting about the company's "Edison" device, which she claimed could perform a wide range of medical tests with just a few drops of blood. The email was later revealed to be misleading, as the device was not capable of performing most of the tests it was claimed to be able to do.
  2. The "Walgreens" email: In 2014, Theranos sent an email to Walgreens, the pharmacy chain, claiming that its technology was ready for commercial use. The email was later revealed to be false, as the technology was not yet ready for prime time.
  3. The "FDA" email: In 2013, Theranos sent an email to the FDA, claiming that its technology had been approved for use in clinical trials. The email was later revealed to be false, as the FDA had not approved the technology for use in clinical trials.
  4. The "LabCorp" email: In 2014, Theranos sent an email to LabCorp, a clinical laboratory company, claiming that its technology was capable of performing a wide range of medical tests. The email was later revealed to be false, as the technology was not capable of performing most of the tests it was claimed to be able to do.

These emails, along with other documents and testimony, helped to build a case against Theranos and its executives, including Holmes and her former COO, Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani. In 2018, Holmes was charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Balwani was charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, as well as securities fraud.

The Theranos emails are a fascinating and disturbing example of how a company can use secrecy, deception, and intimidation to hide its true nature and achieve its goals, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.