Elizabeth Holmes: From CEO to criminal
2/16/202648 min
Once hailed as the next Steve Jobs, Elizabeth Holmes became the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire after founding Theranos, a startup that promised to revolutionise healthcare with hundreds of blood tests from a single drop. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng trace Elizabeth Holmes’s journey from precocious Stanford student to biotech entrepreneur, before unpacking how secrecy and hype masked a technology that couldn’t deliver. When Theranos collapsed spectacularly, a Silicon Valley dream became one of the biggest corporate scandals of the century. Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics, and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility. Simon and Zing put their subjects to the test with a playful, totally unscientific scorecard — then hand the verdict over to you: are they good, bad, or simply billionaires? Here's how to contact the team: email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or send a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176. Find out more about the show and read our privacy notice at www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSimon Jack· Host0:00
This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.
Speaker 20:03
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Asma Khalid0:21
America is changing, and so is the world.
Simon Jack· Host0:25
But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval; it's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.
Asma Khalid0:33
I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, DC.
Simon Jack· Host0:35
I'm Tristan Redmond in London, and this is The Global Story.
Asma Khalid0:39
Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet.
Simon Jack· Host0:45
Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
Zing Tsjeng· Host0:50
[upbeat music] It's March two thousand and four. A nineteen-year-old chemical engineering student walks into her professor's office at Stanford.
Simon Jack· Host1:09
She's quitting Stanford to build a patch that can diagnose illness and deliver treatment, an idea that sounds more sci-fi than startup.
Zing Tsjeng· Host1:16
He sighs. He doesn't want her to drop out, but he is intrigued. Her approach to complex problems is unlike anything he's ever seen.
Simon Jack· Host1:23
After listening and seeing her enthusiasm, he tells her to go for it, and he accepts a seat on the company's board.
Zing Tsjeng· Host1:29
That company