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The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley


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I ordered the book Bad Blood today and found out it is only out in hard back right now. I didn’t mind paying a few bucks extra so I can read it now. I just can’t get enough of this story. 20/20, HBO doc, the  podcast and now the book. Yes!

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22 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

I think whistleblowersare exempt from NDAs, legally

I doubt that option is brought up by the company when they're making you sign the NDA.  There also appear to be a variety of laws and rulings regarding the protection of a whistleblower against a private company, so it's not a clear-cut thing.

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4 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I doubt that option is brought up by the company when they're making you sign the NDA.  There also appear to be a variety of laws and rulings regarding the protection of a whistleblower against a private company, so it's not a clear-cut thing.

Not to mention even if you chose that path and are proven correct or get rulings in your favor it doesn’t mean that you won’t accrue massive legal charges which is why I thought the lawyers advice to her was weird and wondered what he axtually said. 

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On 3/31/2019 at 11:33 PM, hoosiermom said:

I ordered the book Bad Blood today and found out it is only out in hard back right now. I didn’t mind paying a few bucks extra so I can read it now. I just can’t get enough of this story. 20/20, HBO doc, the  podcast and now the book. Yes!

I have recommended the book to multiple people and every single one of them found it just as fascinating as I found it.  

Everything I've consumed so far has been interesting, but I think the book is a best.

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I just finished Bad Blood.  My initial reaction after finishing it was just DAMN.  I can't believe how many people who were completely snowed by her. There were plenty of signs and those who dared to question what they were being sold were shut down. I hope both she and Sunny face some serious jail time. They pushed a health care product they knew wasn't ready without thinking of the harm it could cause innocent people.

It's really disheartening to see her still seemingly living a charmed life. I also truly think that SHE thinks and believes that she did not do anything wrong.  

https://www.insideedition.com/accused-massive-fraud-elizabeth-holmes-now-spends-her-days-hotel-heir-fiance-and-dog-51876?amp

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Can you imagine how you'd feel watching that if you lost your entire life savings in her company and couldn't afford to retire? 

I guess having zero remorse or guilt about your actions makes life a lot more enjoyable, assuming you don't end up in jail or murdered by bitter victims. And I totally agree with you. I'm positive she feels like she did nothing wrong, and that SHE is the victim. 

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4 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Can you imagine how you'd feel watching that if you lost your entire life savings in her company and couldn't afford to retire? 

I guess having zero remorse or guilt about your actions makes life a lot more enjoyable, assuming you don't end up in jail or murdered by bitter victims. And I totally agree with you. I'm positive she feels like she did nothing wrong, and that SHE is the victim. 

To even start that analysis you'd have to make the assumption that she is human enough to care about whether or not she did anything wrong.  I don't think she cares or has a moral compass.

Someone compared her to Billy McFarland and I think they are the same in this regard to.  I GUARANTEE you she will try to start another company (I may have read something about that too), the same way billy McFarland tried scamming THE EXACT SAME PEOPLE as he was out in bail.

Neither of them will learn from their actions, because neither of them posses a moral code that may tell them that it's wrong to scam people, it's wrong to make up things and it's wrong to lie and fiddle with people's health.  

They just want to be billionaires and lauded as geniuses.

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On 3/29/2019 at 4:42 PM, Melina22 said:

Interesting. I'll have to do an unofficial needle and blood phobia poll and see how the genders compare, hopefully without coming across as too weird and nosy. 😁

I'm a woman too, and I'm also incredibly squeamish about blood draws. I've never fainted but have come close. Even just talking about it too much can make me break out in a cold sweat.  Somehow the part where they switch the vial mid-draw is almost the worst for me! I know it's not logical, and I wish I could change it, but luckily at least for now I'm not at a point where I have to get blood drawn more than once a year.

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19 minutes ago, pigs-in-space said:

about blood draws. I've never fainted but have come close. Even just talking about it too much can make me break out in a cold sweat 

First, I love your name. It cracks me up every time I see it and I hear the announcer saying it in my mind. 

Second, I'm glad I'm not the only one. It's actually a visceral thing. I've noticed that whenever I see blood on tv, particularly if anything sharp is involved, like needles or knives, I get a weird spasm in my legs, a fraction of a second later, almost before I've fully registered seeing it. It's so weird! 

Edited by Melina22
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23 hours ago, woodscommaelle said:

So maybe dumb question but what were the employees in the lab doing all day? 

I've wondered that too, especially considering that at its high point the company had 700 employees. It's been mentioned that no group knew exactly what the other groups were doing; employees were monitored constantly and rebuked if they even talked to each other.

I binged through all the episodes of "The Dropout" podcast and I found it much better than the HBO documentary.  The reporter was really digging and asking hard questions.  It was clear from the beginning that she considered Holmes a  conscious fraud rather than someone who thought if she wanted it bad enough she could will it into being.  It was particularly amusing when she interviewed Sunny's lawyer.  I could imagine a thought bubble over her head that read "Dude, seriously?"

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(edited)

Family of fiance of Elizabeth Holmes worry he's brainwashed:

https://nypost.com/2019/04/06/family-of-elizabeth-holmes-fiance-worry-she-has-brainwashed-him-source/amp/

Regarding what the employees were doing all day was trying to get the machines to work within Elizabeth's ridiculous timeframe and to  get ready for the Walgreens debut. They also had a deal with Safeway as well, but that fell thru for multiple reasons.  The lab was a real mess and if anyone said anything negative or brought concerns to attention of managers or Elizabeth or Sunny they were generally fired. It was a daily occurrence to have multiple firings. Sunny had a HUGE temper and most people were afraid of him.  Elizabeth also didn't allow the different departments to communicate. Security was enhanced and keycards were needed to get everywhere plus all computer activity was monitored.  Keycard punches were also monitored by Sunny as well. Oh and if employees worked from morning to night they were considered to be dedicated to Theranos, but if you left at a normal time and didn't work weekends, it was frowned upon. Even if the employee had nothing to do, Elizabeth and Sunny thought you should be there all the freaking time. The floor that has the admins and non-lab workers were said to worship Elizabeth in the Bad Bloods book.  Basically if you kissed her and Sunny's ass, your job was safe.

In the book it's mentioned that if Theranos had continued to work as an "R&D" firm, they could have done that for years, but Elizabeth wanted what she wanted and didn't want to wait. Many companies inflate their figures it was said, but they were for apps, and not a healthcare company that was basically using people as guinea pigs. 

My dislike of her grows everytime I see her on social media posting like she doesn't have a care in the world. I really really really hope she does time. I think she believes she won't which really pisses me off.  My suspicion is she also will throw Sunny under the bus. But she was copied on most emails so she can't pretend ignorance. 

Edited by KLJ
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8 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Kate looks so much like her and she's such a skilled mimic that I can't see it being bad. I'd definitely watch. 

I’m a big Kate McKinnon fan but she is about a foot shorter than Elizabeth!

Edited by MerBearHou
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Real talk though?  The primary reason I love all these documentaries, books, podcasts and movies is because I find the story fascinating.  

But I also love that they keep the story in the spotlight so Holmes can't simply walk away from her shit circus and live a carefree and happy life while she messed up life for so many others, particularly Tyler Schultz, who I feel should be paid back the 400k his family spent in legal fees.

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I wanna see her in an orange jumpsuit picking up trash, not living in a luxury apartment with a boy toy.  They sound like birds of a feather, I don't think his family should be all that appalled.

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On 4/12/2019 at 12:36 AM, RealReality10 said:

Real talk though?  The primary reason I love all these documentaries, books, podcasts and movies is because I find the story fascinating.  

But I also love that they keep the story in the spotlight so Holmes can't simply walk away from her shit circus and live a carefree and happy life while she messed up life for so many others, particularly Tyler Schultz, who I feel should be paid back the 400k his family spent in legal fees.

For real...you could not make this shit up.

On 4/12/2019 at 1:45 PM, Razzberry said:

I wanna see her in an orange jumpsuit picking up trash, not living in a luxury apartment with a boy toy.  They sound like birds of a feather, I don't think his family should be all that appalled.

She will probably go to a privileged pretty white lady jail where she will do things like yoga and tennis all day. That is if she serves any time. I mean that Jackass from Wolf of Wallstreet is still making millions and Leanardo DiCaprio endorses him. Never underestimate the charm of people who con for a living. Heck, she just got engaged to nice looking, younger, MIT grad, who is also heir to a fortune. She is still living her best life.

Edited by qtpye
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On 4/4/2019 at 9:46 AM, KLJ said:

It's really disheartening to see her still seemingly living a charmed life. I also truly think that SHE thinks and believes that she did not do anything wrong.  

I watched the HBO documentary last night and the 20/20 feature today.  In the 20/20 episode Elizabeth, when she was a child said she wanted to be a billionaire, and said the president would marry her because SHE would have a billion dollars.

To me, if a child said their goal was to be a billionaire, I would get that child in therapy, STAT because what she was saying was her GOAL was to make money, not invent something for the good of humankind, but make MONEY, that was her focus, that was what was important to her.  You could make a billion dollars as a drug dealer or a pimp.

Whoever mentioned her hair was right; yikes it looked like straw it was so dry, I don't think it was real though, looked like a clip on; but she was nice looking with those crazy, big blue eyes and I think that's why people were fooled by her, because she was young and attractive, and she had a deep voice and didn't dress provocatively.  She kind of reminded me of Portia Doubleday's character in "Mr Robot."

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On 4/14/2019 at 4:27 PM, Neurochick said:

I watched the HBO documentary last night and the 20/20 feature today.  In the 20/20 episode Elizabeth, when she was a child said she wanted to be a billionaire, and said the president would marry her because SHE would have a billion dollars.

To me, if a child said their goal was to be a billionaire, I would get that child in therapy, STAT because what she was saying was her GOAL was to make money, not invent something for the good of humankind, but make MONEY, that was her focus, that was what was important to her.  You could make a billion dollars as a drug dealer or a pimp.

Whoever mentioned her hair was right; yikes it looked like straw it was so dry, I don't think it was real though, looked like a clip on; but she was nice looking with those crazy, big blue eyes and I think that's why people were fooled by her, because she was young and attractive, and she had a deep voice and didn't dress provocatively.  She kind of reminded me of Portia Doubleday's character in "Mr Robot."

Yes, when all these rich old men were suckered in by her I do not think it was driven by lust. She was of s privileged class and she was one of them, so of course she was the best. Her father’s friends were some of the most important people in the Valley. They vouched for her and that is why she never has to back up her claims. Then on top of that the media really wanted the face of female success to be an attractive    blonde white woman.

I have just finished the book and it is one of the best reads I have ever purchased. The documentary was far too kind regarding her motivations.

Tyler S might be my new hero. That kid risked everything to do the right thing. His grandfather comes off as a doddering old fool who was absolutely snowed by an attractive charismatic young woman. He had no understanding of science and believed In Holmes even after the article came out in the Journal. He had Elizabeth at his 95th birthday party and not his grandson.

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On 4/14/2019 at 3:27 PM, Neurochick said:

To me, if a child said their goal was to be a billionaire, I would get that child in therapy, STAT because what she was saying was her GOAL was to make money, not invent something for the good of humankind, but make MONEY, that was her focus, that was what was important to her.  You could make a billion dollars as a drug dealer or a pimp.

Don't forget that by her generation, the Fleischman Yeast money had been frittered away, and this was a focus of her father.  So from the time she was born, she was told that her family should be rich, that it "deserved" to be rich.  It doesn't surprise me that she made the "I want to be a billionaire" statement at all.  

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This is the presentation that she was finally forced to do after years of hiding her technology under the pretense of protecting "trade secrets". I just do not know how she had the audacity to present what amounts to an eighth-grade science project to laboratory professionals. It is almost like she really believed her polish and charisma would magically turn this turd into gold. 

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Qtype - Thank you for posting the above. I got the impression people in the audience knew this was a bunch of BS. Her answer to most questions boiled down to “we are working on it”. This was held after all the damaging stories in the Wall Street Journal had come out so not sure what she thought she would accomplish by doing this. I have to agree with your very aptly put “turd into gold” theory.

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On 4/26/2019 at 5:16 PM, qtpye said:

This is the presentation that she was finally forced to do after years of hiding her technology under the pretense of protecting "trade secrets". I just do not know how she had the audacity to present what amounts to an eighth-grade science project to laboratory professionals. It is almost like she really believed her polish and charisma would magically turn this turd into gold. 

This was fascinating, especially considering it happened post-exposé. Skimming through it as a layperson, I cannot testify to what all that meant, but when one of the panelists started questioning her and said the evidence fell far short of the company’s claims, the audience applauded him. 

(Panelist starts his questioning at 1:03:33.)

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18 hours ago, RealReality said:

LOL, the parallels between her and Billy McFarland are so pronounced.  The insistence they both had on continuing to scam the exact same community after being exposed is phenomenal.

A major difference being that he only targeted idiot millennials for their extra cash and she was attempting to con people who needed accurate blood test results. Her con could’ve killed someone.

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On 4/28/2019 at 1:12 PM, DangerousMinds said:

A major difference being that he only targeted idiot millennials for their extra cash and she was attempting to con people who needed accurate blood test results. Her con could’ve killed someone.

I see your point, but I actually think someone had a much better chance of getting hurt at fyre. 

If someone with type 1 diabetes and was locked in an airport without any food and their blood sugar tanked, they could have died. 

What if someone was locked in that airport and had a stroke or a heart attack or alcohol poisoning since that was most of what they consumed?  If you're locked in an airport, how easy is it for anyone to get to you?

That luggage they just randomly threw in a pile?  What if someones luggage with medication had gotten lost because someone else mistakenly took their bag?  Yeah, generally you keep it in your carry on, but not everyone is that cautious, especially on a "luxury trip."

I think they got very, very lucky that something bad didn't happen.  We can all laugh at these dummies because nothing bad happened ..but it could have.

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Just finished watching the HBO documentary. OMG. I cannot believe this woman.

For starters, what's with the fucking voice ??

Second, she just seemed to think that if she hoped that it would work, it would work. Which according to alot of experts when she first approached them with the idea, they told her it cannot be done.  

Third, I could have seen this working if the machine was bigger and a small vile of blood then maybe, just maybe only concentrated on a few different tests that are similar and not a whole host of test menus and with just so little blood.

Lastly, I hope the law gives her the harshest punishment according to the laws she broke. I really hope she doesn't get away with it due to her looks, her smile or her self described innocence. 

This woman is a psychopath.

Edited by greekmom
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7 hours ago, greekmom said:

Lastly, I hope the law gives her the harshest punishment according to the laws she broke. I really hope she doesn't get away with it due to her looks, her smile or her self described innocence. 

This woman is a psychopath.

I agree with you, but I don't hold out a lot of hope.  She is finally going to trial at the end of the month, but in the meanwhile she latched onto a very wealthy guy, married him, and just had their first child.  The reporter who originally broke the story suspects that she timed the pregnancy so that she could get the sympathy of the jurors.  

This is the current story.

 

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On 8/17/2021 at 6:28 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

I agree with you, but I don't hold out a lot of hope.  She is finally going to trial at the end of the month, but in the meanwhile she latched onto a very wealthy guy, married him, and just had their first child.  The reporter who originally broke the story suspects that she timed the pregnancy so that she could get the sympathy of the jurors.  

I've heard mixed commentary from law experts on various podcasts and programs.  It was acknowledged that some jurors might feel sympathy and compassion for her because they don't want to leave a baby without a mother.  However, the jurors are just as likely to think the opposite.  Because what type of woman would have a child knowing she is facing some serious jail time other than someone trying to influence them in her favor.  So it could totally backfire.  It will be interesting to see if the baby is allowed in the courtroom.  She will likely ask the judge, but it will likely also get denied.

A lot of experts also say they are surprised that she is not taking a deal.  That either she really thinks she's innocent and believes the evidence will show that, or she really really believes she can sway the jury in her favor regardless of what the prosecution presents.  We are, after all, talking about a woman who got many powerful people (mostly men) to invest in her sham of a business.  Hopefully they put all women in the jury, that would probably mess up her plan a bit. 

It's unclear if she's going to say she was physically abused by Balwani, but definitely she will say he was the one running the show and was abusive towards her.  His notorious temper will certainly add to that.  The fact that she was even manipulative and lying BEFORE Balwani entered the picture is important as well however.  But if she can convince the jury that she TRULY believed that she didn't think she was misleading the investors, that she felt that the science was possible, there is a slight chance that she could possibly get away with it all.  I thought I heard that 98% of cases like this ends up in conviction by the jury.   I personally hope to hell she sees jail time.  Her actions affected a lot of people negatively and dangerously.   I wonder what her in-laws think of her.

The trial will be interesting to follow.  There author of Bad Blood will be updating the podcast as the trial progresses.  Plus - what will her voice sound like if she testifies?!!!

Edited by KLJ
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Saw something about this today. Seems she's going the route of Balwani was abusing and controlling her. Didn't he come on the scene after she established the business?! I can't see how the argument will work. 

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There is evidence and people who will testify that she was knowingly misleading her investors before Balwani.  There are also texts between Balwani and Elizabeth that could potentially go against the abuse theory because she was really the one calling the shots and going against Balwani, especially when it comes to the publicity.

Listening to an attorney on Law Junkie podcast, and he thinks the defense is sharper and more on top of the arguments already, while the prosecutors seem to be falling a step behind.  He also said if he were the prosecutor, he would have argued to see proof that she was breastfeeding, because it will only garner sympathy for her to need to have contact with her baby.

There is also a missing database that was sent to the government by Theranos.  Theranos sent it with encryption, then Theranos dissolved and deleted all server information.  But the government failed to open the file upon receipt, and when they attempted to open SEVEN days later, someone realized that it was encrypted and needed a password.  But by the time they asked for the password, apparently it was too late.   He said it's absolutely inexcusable that they didn't check the file immediately upon receipt and whoever dropped the ball should be in huge trouble because this database pertains to critical information and it only hurts the prosecution.  

She has some top-notch defense (paid for by the insurance Theranos had, ain't that a bitch) that could cost at least seven figures. 

Edited by KLJ
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1 hour ago, KLJ said:

There is evidence and people who will testify that she was knowingly misleading her investors before Balwani.  There are also texts between Balwani and Elizabeth that could potentially go against the abuse theory because she was really the one calling the shots and going against Balwani, especially when it comes to the publicity.

Listening to an attorney on Law Junkie podcast, and he thinks the defense is sharper and more on top of the arguments already, while the prosecutors seem to be falling a step behind.  He also said if he were the prosecutor, he would have argued to see proof that she was breastfeeding, because it will only garner sympathy for her to need to have contact with her baby.

There is also a missing database that was sent to the government by Theranos.  Theranos sent it with encryption, then Theranos dissolved and deleted all server information.  But the government failed to open the file upon receipt, and when they attempted to open SEVEN days later, someone realized that it was encrypted and needed a password.  But by the time they asked for the password, apparently it was too late.   He said it's absolutely inexcusable that they didn't check the file immediately upon receipt and whoever dropped the ball should be in huge trouble because this database pertains to critical information and it only hurts the prosecution.  

She has some top-notch defense (paid for by the insurance Theranos had, ain't that a bitch) that could cost at least seven figures. 

So great. The system has a Marcia Clarke type lawyer while she has OJ's dream team. Basically she's going to get off with a slap on the wrists.

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Honestly I’m surprised that the Theranos’ insurance would pay for a high priced legal team, insurance companies usually pay crap for legal fees.

Huge mistake by the prosecution on that password, but prosecutors are usually very overworked.  They don’t get paid much either.

 

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On 8/31/2021 at 2:11 PM, KLJ said:

The trial will be interesting to follow.  There author of Bad Blood will be updating the podcast as the trial progresses.  Plus - what will her voice sound like if she testifies?!!!

Oh thanks for the update on the podcast, I'm looking for it now. Gosh her voice. I'm wondering the same thing if she will keep talking like that.

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Reporters discovered there was a 'mole' along them who was a part of the defense team.  He introduced himself and said his name was, "Hansen".  He dodged questions and deflected as much as possible.  He was very interested and asked a lot of questions about John Carreyrou apparently.  Turns out it was Elizabeth's FIL, William Evans.  Sounds like the Evans are fitting right in with Elizabeth's shady behaviors.

Something that the Bad Blood podcast mentioned that was a little compelling is the fact that she didn't sell and didn't really profit from the company like Bernie Madoff did.  

So is the argument for white collar criminals going to be, "well, at least he/she wasn't as bad as Bernie Madoff."  Geesh.

Oh and a juror has potentially been exposed to Covid.  If it happens often, the trial will not end in December, extend into 2022 or even be declared a mistrial (which would be somewhat of a win for the defense since it will just delay this trial even more).

 

 

Edited by KLJ
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Is anyone following the trial?  I have such mixed feelings regarding this whole case.  A part of me feels that mostly the super duper rich are the ones who lost money and so who cares.   Then I remember Ian Gibbons.   I hope she's found guilty - I mean, they've got her on recordings actually lying.  If I were a juror, I'm not sure how you can explain that away. 

I'm still amazed at the amounts of money that she was able to raise, for a product that didn't work!   I bet if she's found innocent, she lands on her feet in a company raising money or something.  

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2 hours ago, KLJ said:

Is anyone following the trial?  I have such mixed feelings regarding this whole case.  A part of me feels that mostly the super duper rich are the ones who lost money and so who cares.   Then I remember Ian Gibbons.   I hope she's found guilty - I mean, they've got her on recordings actually lying.  If I were a juror, I'm not sure how you can explain that away. 

I'm still amazed at the amounts of money that she was able to raise, for a product that didn't work!   I bet if she's found innocent, she lands on her feet in a company raising money or something.  

Rich investors can be duped so easily it seems. But I would say it's the employees and some customers who suffered the most here.

The trial is pretty interesting so far, including Holmes testifying on her own behalf. She's already put blame on her boyfriend, saying he controlled and abused her

Even if Holmes is found innocent, could the SEC or some other control body step in and prevent her from running a company for x years or otherwise fine and/or punish her?

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