Disgraced Theranos founder and convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes claims that she still believes her tech startup could have revolutionized healthcare, adding that she is even now working on new inventions, saying, “I still feel the same calling to it as I always did.”
Holmes, who has not spoken to the media since 2016, told the New York Times that she is still working on healthcare-related inventions, and would continue to do so when she’s behind bars.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 28: Former Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes arrives at the Robert F. Peckham U.S. Federal Court on June 28, 2019 in San Jose, California. Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes and former COO Ramesh Balwani appeared in federal court for a status hearing. Both are facing charges of conspiracy and wire fraud for allegedly engaging in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud investors with the Theranos blood testing lab services. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“I still dream about being able to contribute in that space,” Holmes said. “I still feel the same calling to it as I always did and I still think the need is there.”
Holmes — who was convicted of fraud after being found guilty by a jury in January 2022 of defrauding investors out of more than $100 million involving a blood-testing device that did not actually work — says the Elizabeth who is going to jail is not really her, but instead, “a character I created.”
“I believed it would be how I would be good at business and taken seriously and not taken as a little girl or a girl who didn’t have good technical ideas,” Holmes said of her public persona. “Maybe people picked up on that not being authentic, since it wasn’t.”
Holmes added that her friends and partner, Billy Evans, actually know her as “Liz,” a mother of two, who has been volunteering at a rape crisis hotline for the past year.
The New York Times described Holmes as “engaging” in person, but “somewhat socially stunted,” as if “Rip Van Winkle fell asleep in his early 20s in a start-up and woke up a 32-year-old at Burning Man.”
As far as how Holmes is going to pay for her legal expenses, she told NYT, “I can’t,” adding, “I have to work for the rest of my life to try to pay for it.”
After the Times asked if Evans’ family would help to cover her legal costs, she shook her head no.
“She could have said, ‘Yes, I lied, and I tried my best to save mankind, but this happened in my enthusiasm,’” Holmes’ father told NYT. “But she has taken the position that she is not guilty and that takes guts.”
The disgraced Theranos founder was sentenced to 11 years behind bars. She was required to report to federal prison to begin her sentence on April 27, but that has been delayed, thanks to an appeal filed against her conviction.
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