Live data from Hacker News

Tim Draper defends Theranos and its disgraced founder and CEO, Elizabeth Holmes

arstechnica.com

41–50 of 88 posts

Re: Tim Draper defends Theranos and its disgraced founder and CEO, Elizabeth Holmes

#41
post #2

> “Why is [Theranos] worthless? It’s worthless because this writer was like a badger going after her, like a hyena going after her, and then it became a bigger and bigger thing,” he said. “She got bullied into submission,” Draper explained, adding that if it weren’t for Carreyrou and other opponents, Theranos “could have been one of these big, huge winners.” And we would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for…

Tim clearly has some screws loose. I just learned today that he has a fabulously wealthy father; that explains a lot .

While it's clear that the vast majority of us do not agree with Draper's comments here, let's not attempt to discredit someone based on their (wealthy or otherwise) financial background.

Re: Tim Draper defends Theranos and its disgraced founder and CEO, Elizabeth Holmes

#42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tim clearly has some screws loose. I just learned today that he has a fabulously wealthy father; that explains a lot .

His father was one of the earliest of the modern venture capitalists. And among the first in California, circa 1959 (just two years after the founding of Fairchild Semi). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Draper_III

> And among the first in California, circa 1959

His grandfather founded the venture capital firm in 1959. His father was an associate that joined at the time of the founding.

Re: Tim Draper defends Theranos and its disgraced founder and CEO, Elizabeth Holmes

#44
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tim clearly has some screws loose. I just learned today that he has a fabulously wealthy father; that explains a lot .

While it's clear that the vast majority of us do not agree with Draper's comments here, let's not attempt to discredit someone based on their (wealthy or otherwise) financial background.

I took this to mean something like "that explains how he has been able to become and continue to be a high-profile venture capitalist despite having a screw loose", rather than "that explains why he has a screw loose".

Re: Tim Draper defends Theranos and its disgraced founder and CEO, Elizabeth Holmes

#46
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's worth keeping in mind that, by and large, this is how the oligarch class thinks. Their top priorities are protecting and justifying their wealth and power. A journalist who exposes a massive fraud and probably saved lives isn't someone performing a public service - he's an enemy . There is no mea culpa. The relationship between the oligarch's own interests and the public interest is purely predatory and adversar…

I like the way you think. Are there any books you recommend on understanding how oligarchs think? What do you think is going through the mind of oligarchs with more geopolitical concerns, like Putin?

For a literary treatment once can read Ernst Jünger - the Mauretanier-Orden pops up every now and then in the course of his writings.

Re: Tim Draper defends Theranos and its disgraced founder and CEO, Elizabeth Holmes

#47

> "Theranos is now in the loser column of his investments, a list which includes Tesla" What? WHY IS THAT SLIPPED IN THERE? Tesla hasn't crashed nor dropped substantially in value. I am just so confused by this statement.

Possibly, the writer meant that Tesla is one of his investments.

Re: Tim Draper defends Theranos and its disgraced founder and CEO, Elizabeth Holmes

#49
post #2

> “Why is [Theranos] worthless? It’s worthless because this writer was like a badger going after her, like a hyena going after her, and then it became a bigger and bigger thing,” he said. “She got bullied into submission,” Draper explained, adding that if it weren’t for Carreyrou and other opponents, Theranos “could have been one of these big, huge winners.” And we would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for…

Wow—this guy really buys into the hype machine to fix all problems. There was a reason most top VCs turned this down—for most of the use cases proposed there is intrinsically too much natural heterogeneity in blood that you need to use a larger blood draw. Journalists were not going to change that fact that this machine was never going to work.

Re: Tim Draper defends Theranos and its disgraced founder and CEO, Elizabeth Holmes

#50
post #32

John Carreyrou's book is coming out end of May. Already pre-ordered. Can't wait.

May 21st, already pre-ordered the audiobook too. I've never listened to an audiobook this long. 11 hr 36 minutes.

https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Blood-Secrets-Silicon-Valley/dp/1...
Post reply on HN