Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

Questions About Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

by John Carreyrou

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Answered Questions (26)

Does the book cover Elizabeth Holmes' motives for doing what she did? I'm interested in knowing the reason(s) behind her actions, since money appears not to be a factor? (She only had $500,000 to her name when her crime was uncovered, which means the millions entrusted to her had been spent on the company?)
TC Not really. Holmes did not answer requests for an interview. She remains mysterious as a person. The conjecture is she was simply high on herself. Som…moreNot really. Holmes did not answer requests for an interview. She remains mysterious as a person. The conjecture is she was simply high on herself. Some think her lover and business partner Sunny Balwani manipulated her as a young ingenue, but this book firmly rejects that, pointing out that she was manipulating people all the way back in college. (I thought that was before she'd met him but apparently they'd met while she was still in high school. Still, there's not much evidence she was ever under his influence; clearly at best they were equals, and at worst he was under hers, based on her observed behavior.)

EDIT: I should also point out that this book says she was mentored by Silicon Valley's "best," including Larry Ellison, who is a textbook example of the amoral, at-all-cost "entrepreneur" the area is so famous for. Maybe she started out genuine but perhaps the culture of the Valley corrupted her, making her believe that the ends justified the means and that the most important thing wasn't to deliver value, but to secure yet more funding, and hire the best lawyers to destroy anyone who came in her way. Her story really isn't that different from a lot of Silicon Valley; hers is just worse because of the size and scope, and because she was in a highly regulated space for once, whereas most operate in free-wheeling tech that has almost no rules.

It's all conjecture and speculation, tho. Even when/if she writes her own book, I doubt it will give any valuable insight, just more spin. Nothing short of an independent psychiatric eval will give us a glimmer of what might really have happened.(less)
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Why does the book's title not mention Theranos by name? Surely it would have sold more copies that way.
Crystal Chow Therano is mentioned explicitly in the description of the book so I don't think the choice of title has anything to do with legal issues. The point is…moreTherano is mentioned explicitly in the description of the book so I don't think the choice of title has anything to do with legal issues. The point is that Theranos isn't simply an outlier in the Silicon Valley but an epitome of the often overhyped startup culture that idolizes entrepreneurs and self-made billionaires. (less)
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Can anyone recommend a book which is similar to this? Thank you! I loved it.
Gina Check out Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
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I can't wait to start reading this book. I'm wondering if it can be classified as a study on extreme narcissistic personality with an overlay of psychopathic genius?
Deirdre Clancy The author of the book doesn't pretend to be doing a psychological analysis, but he hints toward the end that Holmes may be a sociopath (without sayin…moreThe author of the book doesn't pretend to be doing a psychological analysis, but he hints toward the end that Holmes may be a sociopath (without saying it outright - he just gives the definition of sociopathy and invites readers to draw their own conclusions). I think she definitely started to believe the hype about herself and was completely in thrall to her ex-boyfriend, who was a tyrant. There were various factors, including the culture of Silicon Valley. It's a complex and complicated story, and very well worth reading.(less)
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I listened to the podcast and watched the ABC 20/20 special. Does the book offer anything more? Is it worth it to read the book?
Diane Rohan I started w the podcast which led me to the book. There’s a lot covered by both but the book adds a lot more to the efforts and lengths they went to t…moreI started w the podcast which led me to the book. There’s a lot covered by both but the book adds a lot more to the efforts and lengths they went to to cover the lie. I found it worthwhile. (less)
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