Theranos

Today, Elizabeth Holmes testifies in her own defense in a trial for criminal charges stemming from the collapse of the company she infamously founded, Theranos. The startup claiming to revolutionize the medical industry, and at one point valued at $9 billion, went down in a blaze of allegations of fraud as one of the worst disasters in Silicon Valley history. What went wrong?Connect on Facebook or at the Failed Utopia website.Links & ResourcesNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741 741Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-799-7233VictimConnect, a referral helpline for victims of crime: 1-855-484-2846For veterans, Make The ConnectionU.S. v. Elizabeth Holmes, et al.SEC Press Release: Theranos, CEO Holmes, and Former President Balwani Charged With Massive FraudWritten and produced by Anna RobertsBurning palm tree artwork by Perry VasquezIntro music by Elliot Middleton

Om Podcasten

This is a podcast about utopian ideas and paradise lost. We look at utopian concepts from the past, present and future, as well as utopian societies and communes, which promise the world to eager followers but inevitably fail when it all starts to unravel. Some of these utopias just fall apart, while others devolve into true horrors and even brutal cults. I’ll break down what these groups’ leaders were thinking, what attracted their devotees in the first place, and how it all went wrong.