Bad Blood

By John Carreyrou

Categories: Business & Money

Journalist John Carreyrou tells the story of Theranos and its founder, Elizabeth Holmes, who promised that her startup's device could run a full range of laboratory tests from a single drop of blood. Backed by investors such as Larry Ellison and Tim Draper, the company was valued at more than $9 billion in 2014. Carreyrou, who began investigating Theranos for The Wall Street Journal in 2015, shows that the technology didn't work and that patients received erroneous results. Published in 2018, this edition adds a new afterword.

Recommended by 5 people

• Michael J. Mauboussin
• Bill Gurley
• Bill Gates
• Shane Parrish: “This book is incredibly well done. What do you get when you mix reality distortion, charisma, a noble aim, poor governance, healthcare, a desire to be rich, narcism, and a lot of people (partners/investors) who failed to do even basic diligence? Theranos.”
• David Heinemeier Hansson: “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup is a gripping tale of a fake-it-till-you-make-it bet that did not pay off”