Bad blood
The Australian Women's Weekly|March 2022
Disgraced one-time tech billionaire Elizabeth Holmes has been found guilty of fraud. The whistleblower who helped topple her corrupt empire, Erika Cheung, speaks exclusively to The Weekly about bringing down one of Silicon Valley’s biggest cons.
GENEVIEVE GANNON
Bad blood

A beguiling, blonde 31-year-old entrepreneur sat onstage with former US President Bill Clinton and laid out her ambition for a future where diseases could be detected before they took hold. With her long hair, black turtleneck and slim-leg pants, Elizabeth Holmes was a refreshing anomaly on a panel of men in grey suits. Her large blue eyes remained unblinking as she sold a vision that was full of promise.

“To me, nothing matters more than the reality in our healthcare system today, which is, when someone you care about gets really sick, by the time we find out about it, it’s often too late to do anything,” she explained in her deep, sonorous voice.

The audience burst into applause. What Elizabeth was promising at that conference in January 2015 was nothing short of a healthcare revolution: cheaper, faster, less painful blood tests – detailed results with just the prick of a finger – providing more people with better health information earlier. This could save lives.

Bill Clinton beamed with paternalistic pride as he explained that Forbes magazine had crowned Elizabeth the youngest-ever self-made woman billionaire. Her start-up, Theranos, was valued at US$9 billion. Yet she appeared humble, bashful almost, and reiterated that she just wanted to make a difference in the world.

Denne historien er fra March 2022-utgaven av The Australian Women's Weekly.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 2022-utgaven av The Australian Women's Weekly.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLYSe alt
Maggie's kitchen
The Australian Women's Weekly

Maggie's kitchen

Maggie Beer's delicious veg patties - perfect for lunch, dinner or a snack - plus a simple nostalgic pudding with fresh passionfruit.

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
Reclaim your brain
The Australian Women's Weekly

Reclaim your brain

Attention span short? Thoughts foggy? Memory full of gaps? Brigid Moss investigates the latest ways to sharpen your thinking.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 2025
The girls from Oz
The Australian Women's Weekly

The girls from Oz

Melbourne music teacher Judith Curphey challenged the patriarchy when she started Australia's first all-girls choir. Forty years later that bold vision has 6500 members, life-changing programs and a new branch of the sisterhood in Singapore.

time-read
9 mins  |
January 2025
One kid can change the world
The Australian Women's Weekly

One kid can change the world

In 2018, 10-year-old Jack Berne started A Fiver for a Farmer to raise funds for drought relief. He and mum Prue share what happened next.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 2025
AFTER THE WAVE
The Australian Women's Weekly

AFTER THE WAVE

Twenty years ago, the Boxing Day tsunami tore across the Indian Ocean, shredding towns, villages and holiday resorts, and killing hundreds of thousands of people from Indonesia to Africa. Three Australians share their memories of terror, loss and survival with The Weekly.

time-read
8 mins  |
January 2025
PATRICIA KARVELAS How childhood tragedy shaped me
The Australian Women's Weekly

PATRICIA KARVELAS How childhood tragedy shaped me

Patricia Karvelas hustled hard to chase her dreams, but it wasn't easy. In a deeply personal interview, the ABC host talks about family loss, finding love, battles fought and motherhood.

time-read
10 mins  |
January 2025
Ripe for the picking
The Australian Women's Weekly

Ripe for the picking

Buy a kilo or two of fresh Australian apricots because they're at their peak sweetness now and take inspiration from our lush recipe ideas that showcase this divine stone fruit.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 2025
Your stars for 2025
The Australian Women's Weekly

Your stars for 2025

The Weekly’s astrologer, Lilith Rocha, reveals what’s in store for your astrological sign in 2025. For your monthly horoscope, turn to page 192.

time-read
10 mins  |
January 2025
MEL SCHILLING Cancer made me look at myself differently'
The Australian Women's Weekly

MEL SCHILLING Cancer made me look at myself differently'

One year on from going public with her bowel cancer diagnosis, Mel Schilling reveals where she's at with her health journey and how it's changed her irrevocably.

time-read
9 mins  |
January 2025
Nothing like this Dame Judi
The Australian Women's Weekly

Nothing like this Dame Judi

A few weeks before her 90th birthday, the acting legend jumped on a phone call with The Weekly to talk about her extraordinary life – and what’s still to come.

time-read
10 mins  |
January 2025