HBO recently released a film about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos which was once valued at 9 Billion dollars and employed 800 people. The film has many similarities to the previously released Fyre Film on Netflix and Fyre Fraud on Hulu. Where as a breakdown between the characteristics and traits of Elizabeth Holmes vs Billy Mcfarland may be well suited.
Similarities Between Elizabeth Holmes & Billy Mcfarland:
Billy & Elizabeth both gained excessive publicity & tried to use legal tactics to suppress and stop bloggers, journalists, and employees from disparaging them.
Both are sociopaths who believed in their mission despite seeing it was becoming a sinking ship.
Both used excessive lies and deception to extract more money from investors. ,
They believed even after the sinking of their ships that they still had a viable product and chance to redeem themselves.
Neither had any issues bold face lying about what they had done and felt no remorse.
The Theranos Story vs. Fyre Festival
Both stories are built on charisma and entrepreneurship which I initially felt both characters had the fake it till you make it mentality but by the end of both films you tend to think "Okay they are just out to scam people and don't really care." It is possible the Holmes expected her Edison machine to be able to run all the tests and just had a lack of scientific knowledge. She wasn't going to be humbled by her staff and apply the law of physics that some tests couldn't currently be run in that capacity at the time. While it is a Silicon Valley way of thinking to do the impossible in this case it just wasn't viable.
Fyre Festival used social media to build up their image and gain exposure for their event. Theranos gained VC and then once it was rolling garnered glitz and glamour as a self made female entrepreneur. Both seemed like they were on the way up but it was all smoke and mirrors. The Theranos Edison machine wasn't able to accurately run tests and they only booked a few hundred thousand dollars of revenue but claimed it had made a billion dollars (dont quote me on the exact figure). Billy Mcfarland did the same bringing in <$100,000 in revenue and claiming to have brought in millions for their platform.
The amount of similarities between the two films are great and I suggest watching both stories (all 3 films if you can).
Similarities Between Elizabeth Holmes & Billy Mcfarland:
Billy & Elizabeth both gained excessive publicity & tried to use legal tactics to suppress and stop bloggers, journalists, and employees from disparaging them.
Both are sociopaths who believed in their mission despite seeing it was becoming a sinking ship.
Both used excessive lies and deception to extract more money from investors. ,
They believed even after the sinking of their ships that they still had a viable product and chance to redeem themselves.
Neither had any issues bold face lying about what they had done and felt no remorse.
The Theranos Story vs. Fyre Festival
Both stories are built on charisma and entrepreneurship which I initially felt both characters had the fake it till you make it mentality but by the end of both films you tend to think "Okay they are just out to scam people and don't really care." It is possible the Holmes expected her Edison machine to be able to run all the tests and just had a lack of scientific knowledge. She wasn't going to be humbled by her staff and apply the law of physics that some tests couldn't currently be run in that capacity at the time. While it is a Silicon Valley way of thinking to do the impossible in this case it just wasn't viable.
Fyre Festival used social media to build up their image and gain exposure for their event. Theranos gained VC and then once it was rolling garnered glitz and glamour as a self made female entrepreneur. Both seemed like they were on the way up but it was all smoke and mirrors. The Theranos Edison machine wasn't able to accurately run tests and they only booked a few hundred thousand dollars of revenue but claimed it had made a billion dollars (dont quote me on the exact figure). Billy Mcfarland did the same bringing in <$100,000 in revenue and claiming to have brought in millions for their platform.
The amount of similarities between the two films are great and I suggest watching both stories (all 3 films if you can).
