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Theranos CEO Says 'I Don't Know' 600+ Times in Deposition

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Re: Theranos CEO Says 'I Don't Know' 600+ Times in Deposition

#3
I doubt it's news to many here, but Bad Blood is an amazing book on Theranos. It doesn't follow as far as the deposition (I had no idea she was facing 20 years!) but I'd highly recommend it for anyone interested in this story. The audiobook is great too.

Re: Theranos CEO Says 'I Don't Know' 600+ Times in Deposition

#5
post #2

is this news? if anyone was in her place they would do no less. it's likely she's going to jail for at least a little while. who wants to go from potential billionaire to jailbird? how would that effect your mental health?

Hard to say because it seems like you need to be a bit of a psychopath to have done what she did in the first place.

Re: Theranos CEO Says 'I Don't Know' 600+ Times in Deposition

#6
You realize that since 2-3 years it is now standard legal practice to make sure deciders don't know the details of important decisions. They know the decision, of course, and what was chosen, and they decide.

But they don't know who the email was sent to to implement the decision. Or they don't know the law firm depositing it. Or they only generally know the numbers involved, and have since destroyed the exact numbers (email and any paper copies). This is done explicitly so they can truthfully answer "I don't know" to nearly every question.

Given how governments are going after companies, and how politicized everything, including testimonies at the police, have become, I can't say I blame them. Even if an answer is true, and not criminal, but somehow controversial, it will end up in the media. I can't say I blame them. We need to get back to the situation that it just doesn't happen that any statement leaks from investigations, at the very least unless the person is found guilty, and even then, only if strictly relevant to the crime.

For example the many times ceo's have been called to "testify" on tax minimization strategies, knowing full well the IRS (controlled and of course authorized by the government) has come to an agreement about those taxes, and that agreement has passed through the hands of elected politicians. The only purpose is to demonize these people without admitting that the government created half the controversies.

Re: Theranos CEO Says 'I Don't Know' 600+ Times in Deposition

#7
post #2

is this news? if anyone was in her place they would do no less. it's likely she's going to jail for at least a little while. who wants to go from potential billionaire to jailbird? how would that effect your mental health?

Apparently Holmes is trying to raise money again [1]

[1]: https://www.businessinsider.com/theranos-founder-elizabeth-h...

Re: Theranos CEO Says 'I Don't Know' 600+ Times in Deposition

#8

You realize that since 2-3 years it is now standard legal practice to make sure deciders don't know the details of important decisions. They know the decision, of course, and what was chosen, and they decide. But they don't know who the email was sent to to implement the decision. Or they don't know the law firm depositing it. Or they only generally know the numbers involved, and have since destroyed the exact number…

Anecdata: my sister proposed automated tire sensors for a trucking firm to the President of said firm. They asked "If a tire comes off a truck on the highway and causes an accident or fatality, will this sensor be able to show if the tire was incorrectly mounted or had bad pressure?" She replied, "Yes, exactly". They then said "Then we definitely don't want this on our trucks" This was 15 years ago.

Re: Theranos CEO Says 'I Don't Know' 600+ Times in Deposition

#9

I doubt it's news to many here, but Bad Blood is an amazing book on Theranos. It doesn't follow as far as the deposition (I had no idea she was facing 20 years!) but I'd highly recommend it for anyone interested in this story. The audiobook is great too.

Jennifer Lawrence is said to be playing Holmes in the film adaptation.

Re: Theranos CEO Says 'I Don't Know' 600+ Times in Deposition

#10

You realize that since 2-3 years it is now standard legal practice to make sure deciders don't know the details of important decisions. They know the decision, of course, and what was chosen, and they decide. But they don't know who the email was sent to to implement the decision. Or they don't know the law firm depositing it. Or they only generally know the numbers involved, and have since destroyed the exact number…

Isn't it simply shifting the blame downwards ? Because someone from Legal will have sent the dubious request to the law firm, for example, and the law firm can clearly find it in its archive ?
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