Holmes Sentenced to over 11 years in prison

[MacMadame]

I thought we had a thread about Holmes and Theranos but I can't find it.

Sentencing was today:

Elizabeth Holmes gets more than 11 years for Theranos scam

Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes is being sentenced Friday for duping investors and endangering patients while peddling a bogus blood-testing technology.

apnews.com

I feel sorry for her children.

 

[Jot the Dot Dot]

Well, it's good that justice didn't blink. (There's a joke in there for the observant).

 

[skatfan]

I thought we had a thread about Holmes and Theranos but I can't find it.

Sentencing was today:

Elizabeth Holmes gets more than 11 years for Theranos scam

Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes is being sentenced Friday for duping investors and endangering patients while peddling a bogus blood-testing technology.

apnews.com

I feel sorry for her children.

I guess getting pregnant after her conviction isn’t working out the way she hoped.

 

[MacMadame]

Is it justice though? I can't help feeling that if she had been a guy, the judge would have been worrying about her future (ala Brock the Good Swimmer) and how her kids would be raised, etc., and kept it around 5 years. The other thing is that it seems like her sentence would be more in line if she'd been convicted of defrauding patients and not just investors all of whom could well afford it.

I guess we'll see when her partner in crime gets his sentence. It better be more than hers! (Since he was convicted of more things.)

One thing that has fascinated me about this case from the beginning is that I just can't figure out where Holmes is coming from. She's not an obvious grifter like some. But I have trouble buying her "I was trying to do good things and just got carried away" defense. At the same time, she doesn't seem to be in touch with reality. I mean the prosecution wanted 15 years and her team asked for 18 months. Is a big discrepancy like that normal? Plus she went and had those kids.

I guess getting pregnant after her conviction isn’t working out the way she hoped.

Yeah, what was she thinking? I could kind of maybe see with the first one she was convinced she wouldn't be convicted. But to have another so soon after when it was clear she as going to be in jail for at least a couple of years and probably much longer. I don't get it.

 

[Deleted member 221]

Yeah, what was she thinking? I could kind of maybe see with the first one she was convinced she wouldn't be convicted. But to have another so soon after when it was clear she as going to be in jail for at least a couple of years and probably much longer. I don't get it.

I get it. She's 38, about to turn 39 in February. If she and her husband wanted a second biological child not born through surrogate, now was the time. There are no guarantees it will be possible when she is released from prison. Even if it's possible, it's likely to be more difficult, involve fertility treatments, etc.

I could see her thinking either:

• she'd serve a few months to < 2 years, and her children wouldn't even remember her being gone, OR
• her sentence would be long enough that she wouldn't be released until 45-50+, which would make having a second child much more difficult and create a large age gap with her other child

Or maybe both, and this was the option that came with the fewest potential regrets.

This is, of course, assuming that the pregnancy was intentional, which is probable but not guaranteed.

 

[MacMadame]

There's nothing wrong with just having one kid. She made choices and is now reaping the consequences. Which includes two kids growing up without her instead of one. Her actions show that she hasn't learned anything from her experiences with Theranos.

 

[Orm Irian]

it seems like her sentence would be more in line if she'd been convicted of defrauding patients and not just investors all of whom could well afford it.

Oh, but she lied to rich people in order to take money from them. That's far more serious than lying to sick people in order to take money from them, of course! /s

 

[Deleted member 221]

There's nothing wrong with just having one kid. She made choices and is now reaping the consequences. Which includes two kids growing up without her instead of one. Her actions show that she hasn't learned anything from her experiences with Theranos.

Holmes deserves the same reproductive freedoms as any woman. She'll probably be in jail for five or six years maximum, meaning she'll be around for ~2/3 of her children's childhood, including virtually all of their school years.

I don't see what her family choices have anything to do with her experiences at Theranos . Maybe she and her husband decided that they'd like two children for whatever reason, have made a plan for their care while she serves her prison sentence, and are looking forward to a normal life together after her prison sentence.

 

[MacMadame]

I don't see what her family choices have anything to do with her experiences at Theranos .

She's doing what she wants and justifying it even though it will hurt others.

 

[Cachoo]

Oh, but she lied to rich people in order to take money from them. That's far more serious than lying to sick people in order to take money from them, of course! /s

If you do the crime you should do the time. Fingers crossed that those illegally involved in the sub-prime mortgage mess get their due. And those oxy pushers...?

I get the impression that Elizabeth sees herself of some sort of martyr. I'm not sure she really understands her transgressions. She is rather strange in that regard.

 

[Deleted member 221]

She's doing what she wants and justifying it even though it will hurt others.

Do you think the same applies to other women who intentionally become pregnant while knowing they're about to go to jail? Or who intentionally become pregnant in jail?

 

[MacMadame]

Do you think the same applies to other women who intentionally become pregnant while knowing they're about to go to jail? Or who intentionally become pregnant in jail?

What a weird question. As is the comment that Holmes deserves "reproductive freedom" as if people don't get pregnant at stupid times and/or for stupid reasons and point that out is depriving them of their rights.

So I will ask you a question. Would you be defending a homeless woman for getting pregnant with the same vigor as you are defending Holmes?

If you do the crime you should do the time. Fingers crossed that those illegally involved in the sub-prime mortgage mess get their due. And those oxy pushers...?

They won't.

I get the impression that Elizabeth sees herself of some sort of martyr. I'm not sure she really understands her transgressions. She is rather strange in that regard.

I go back and forth as to whether she's a flat-out grifter or sincerely sees herself as a hero trying to better the world who just made a few small mistakes due to having too much passion for her vision. Ultimately, I think you are correct because 15 years devoted to a company is a lot if it was just a grift.

 

[Deleted member 221]

So I will ask you a question. Would you be defending a homeless woman for getting pregnant with the same vigor as you are defending Holmes?

Holmes and her husband presumably have a plan, a support system, and sufficient funds to make sure the children are cared for without leaning on the state for support. Why are their family choices anyone's concern? Is her situation really much different than, e.g., law firm partners or executives with round-the-clock nannies and backup nannies to take care of children they barely see? Family and career or other life obligations often collide, and there is limited time in which women can have children (even if it is being extended through medical interventions).

Would I be defending a homeless person with the same vigor? Probably not, because it would mean the child would spend their formative years in foster care (generally not a great experience for children) and costing the state money. But if the homeless person had a plan that didn't involve foster care and welfare, sure.

 

[NinjaTurtles]

It’s federal prison, she has to serve at least 85% of her sentence. I don’t think Holmes will serve less than 9 years.

Is it justice though? I can't help feeling that if she had been a guy, the judge would have been worrying about her future (ala Brock the Good Swimmer) and how her kids would be raised, etc., and kept it around 5 years. The other thing is that it seems like her sentence would be more in line if she'd been convicted of defrauding patients and not just investors all of whom could well afford it.

I guess we'll see when her partner in crime gets his sentence. It better be more than hers! (Since he was convicted of more things.)

Davila stayed within the very bottom of the sentencing guidelines, he basically did the advised minimum. Balwani is absolutely f*cked.

 

[Tesla]

Elizabeth Holmes has every right to have kids, and people have every right to criticize her choices. Her kids are going to lose important bonding time with their mother.

 

[MacMadame]

Why are their family choices anyone's concern?

For the same reason all choices made by public figures are fodder for public discussion.

Davila stayed within the very bottom of the sentencing guidelines, he basically did the advised minimum. Balwani is absolutely f*cked.

I can live with that.

Elizabeth Holmes has every right to have kids, and people have every right to criticize her choices. Her kids are going to lose important bonding time with their mother.

They also have a criminal for a mom who isn't just busy with work but they still see on a regular basis and takes part in at least some of their lives. That's bound to f'ck with them. Look at how Jared Kushner turned out.

 

[Lynn226]

I was about to cancel Hulu when I suddenly saw an ad for the 2022 docuseries The Dropout. It begins with Elizabeth in high school and ends at around the time of her trial, I think. Amanda Seyfried is bang on as Elizabeth, including the weird voice and eyes.