How Elizabeth Holmes Tricked WIRED—and Everyone Else
WIRED was the first magazine to cover Theranos and its enticing billionaire founder. There were warning signs even then.
The story of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos, captivated the tech industry and media alike. Former Secretary of State George Shultz considered Holmes a potential Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. By 2014, she was the youngest woman billionaire. WIRED, which had previously published Theranos' idea, published a long-form Q&A with Holmes in March 2014.
The interview, conducted in the Palo Alto offices of Theranos, featured Holmes dressed in a Steve Jobs-inspired outfit. Roper, the reporter, even had her blood drawn and examined by Theranos' "innovative" technology. However, it later emerged that the tests were fraudulent, the technology did not exist, and major partners like Walgreens had terminated their deals.
Theranos' board was filled with suspicious figures, raising red flags for some at WIRED. The magazine's culture of credulity, particularly regarding scientific claims, contributed to the magazine's eventual realization that it had been fooled by Holmes and Theranos.
Written by urgent.news from Wired's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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