Elizabeth Holmes became the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire as CEO of her biotech startup, Theranos. The former Silicon Valley darling now faces criminal trial and 20 years in prison over the Justice Department’s charges that she used the once-hyped blood testing company to defraud investors.
Yahoo Finance is turning the page on Theranos, examining arguments to be raised in Holmes’ defense and the culture that fueled her rise and fall. Interviews with a Theranos board member and employee who have never spoken out, as well as experts on Silicon Valley, raise the possibility that Holmes, rather than being a villain, is a victim of a Silicon Valley ethos that values a perfect pitch over proven results.