After "reflecting" for more than 40 hours in six days, the jurors of the criminal trial that saw her indicted in San José, Califórnia, declared Elizabeth Holmes guilty of four of the 11 counts of fraud against the company's investors and patients.
At the reading of the verdict, Holmes had no visible reactions. She sat down and later hugged her family members in the front row. He now faces up to 20 years in prison, although legal experts say his sentence will likely be lower.
Story of an incredible staging
During the federal trial, jurors heard over 30 witnesses called by prosecutors. The result was a chiaroscuro picture: Elizabeth Holmes was called a charismatic entrepreneur (and she seemed to be). Otherwise, she could not have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in investments for Theranos, hers startup. A startup that boasted a revolutionary technology to obtain very detailed analyzes starting from a few drops of blood, thanks to a medical device that never worked.
When Theranos' technology failed, the prosecution claims, Elizabeth Holmes covered it up. Stubbornly insisting even at the cost of lying and harming users.
Elizabeth Holmes, her defense
Elizabeth Holmes remained on the stand for more than 20 hours to defend herself. She accused everyone of everything: including her ex-boyfriend (and former deputy) in Theranos, Ramesh Balwani, of sexual abuse. Balwani, however, will have a separate trial for fraud starting next month.
Balwani, according to Holmes' defense, would also be responsible for the inflated financial forecasts with which Theranos misled investors. The prosecution, on the other hand, proved that Holmes was in full control of the startup's operations: not only did it not hold back, but it helped spread falsehoods about the company.
Falsehoods that have misled enthusiasts, users and investors: all to keep up a fiction that perhaps lived first and foremost in the head of Elizabeth Holmes herself. The dark side of talent.
