Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced former CEO of Theranos, was sentenced to 11 years behind bars for fraud. She was found guilty of defrauding investors in a case that gripped Silicon Valley and raised questions about the tech world’s ethics. Even from behind bars, Holmes is still committed to her original mission of finding affordable healthcare solutions. According to reports, her fiancé, Billy Evans, is now heading up a new startup—General Health—that wants to transform health and health care through blood testing.
Holmes was found guilty for her role in Theranos. Under numerous misrepresentations, the company purported to have developed breakthrough technology capable of conducting comprehensive blood tests with just a few drops of blood. The company was subject to extraordinary public pressure and eventually imploded on a mountain of fraud allegations, costing its investors billions of dollars.
In a recent interview, from within prison walls, Holmes reiterated her absolute commitment to her mission. She stated,
“I am completely committed to my dream of making affordable healthcare solutions available to everyone.”
- Elizabeth Holmes
Her boyfriend, Billy Evans, is entering the entrepreneurial limelight. That’s why he just launched a new startup with a similar mission, advancing the field of “human health optimization” via accessible, informative blood testing. The company starts out working with pet health to test its technology and use cases. In the near future, it hopes to bring its autonomy to human passengers as well. Evans is currently in pursuit of more than $50 million in private investment. He plans to apply that money to further Holmes’ dreams of revolutionizing healthcare.
Jim Breyer, a well-known venture capitalist and investor, having missed the boat on Theranos himself. Now, he has expressed doubt about Evans’ new project, repeating the same apprehensions he expressed about Holmes’ initial enterprise. Evans’ real challenge may lie ahead and therein lies the future of his new startup. He hopes to keep it out from under Theranos’ brooding cloud, all while establishing trust in the health tech arena.
Holmes and Evans have a daughter born in March 2019. Their co-parenting arrangement, their family structure, has garnered national attention during her trial and sentencing since. Holmes is indeed serving time for her crimes, but she’s still focused on her deep commitment to affordable healthcare. Her commitment is shaping her family’s future in profound ways.
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