Elizabeth Anne Holmes (born February 3, 1984) is an American entrepreneur who founded Theranos, a blood-testing company. Theranos claimed revolutionary blood-testing methods but was exposed for fraud in 2015. Once valued at $9 billion, Holmes was named the youngest self-made female billionaire, but her fortune vanished as fraud allegations emerged.
In 2018, she was charged with defrauding investors, leading to a conviction in 2022. Holmes was sentenced to 11+1⁄4 years in prison and ordered to pay $452 million in restitution. She married Billy Evans in 2019.
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Elizabeth Holmes Net Worth
Elizabeth Holmes is an American businesswoman who has a net worth of -$226 million. Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos in 2003, originally named Real-Time Cures, to revolutionize healthcare by developing blood tests with small amounts of blood. With her fear of needles as motivation, she sought to gain venture capital support, and by 2010, Theranos had raised over $92 million.
Known for mimicking Steve Jobs’ style, Holmes wore black turtlenecks and spoke in a baritone voice. The company gained major attention after partnering with Walgreens in 2013, but media hype peaked in 2014, with Holmes featured on many magazine covers.
Early Life
Elizabeth Holmes was born on February 3, 1984, in Washington, D.C. Her father, Christian Holmes IV, worked at Enron and later held executive positions in government agencies. Holmes is partly of Danish ancestry, with a great-great-great-grandfather, Charles Louis Fleischmann, founding Fleischmann’s Yeast Company.
Holmes graduated from St. John’s School in Houston and attended Stanford University in 2002, studying chemical engineering. After dropping out in 2004, she used her tuition money to fund her healthcare technology company, Theranos.
Career
In 2003, Elizabeth Holmes founded Real-Time Cures in Palo Alto, later renaming it Theranos to focus on small blood tests. Despite initial skepticism from experts, Holmes gained support from Stanford‘s Channing Robertson.
Theranos quickly gained recognition, and in 2015, Holmes was named one of Time‘s most influential people and awarded the Horatio Alger Award. She emulated Steve Jobs by wearing black turtlenecks and adopted a deep baritone voice in public. However, in 2023, Holmes admitted the low voice was an affectation.
Personal life
Elizabeth Holmes was romantically involved with Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, whom she met in 2002. Despite their 19-year age gap, they became a couple in 2003, and he advised Theranos behind the scenes before officially joining as COO in 2009.
In 2021, Holmes testified about being raped at Stanford and accused Balwani of being controlling and abusive, which he denied. Holmes married William “Billy” Evans in 2019, with whom she had two children. She lived with Evans before her incarceration, which began after her conviction.
Does Elizabeth Holmes’ family visit her?
Elizabeth Holmes celebrated her 40th birthday in prison, with her husband and children visiting her on Saturday, her official birthday, and Sunday, according to the Mail. Her parents also joined them, and the family was seen gathered around a red picnic table.
Conclusion
Elizabeth Holmes’s story is a complex blend of ambition, innovation, and deception. Her rise and fall serve as a reminder of the fine line between revolutionary breakthroughs and ethical conduct in business.
FAQs about Elizabeth Holmes
- How old is Elizabeth Holmes?
- Elizabeth Holmes is 39 years old.
- What was the peak net worth of Elizabeth Holmes?
- Her peak net worth was $4.5 billion.
- What is Elizabeth Holmes’s current occupation?
- She is currently serving a prison sentence.
- When did Elizabeth Holmes become a billionaire?
- She became a billionaire at the age of 30.
- What was the fate of the Theranos building?
- The Theranos building was repurposed by Stanford University School of Medicine.
