Theranos Blood Testing Device

Elizabeth Holmes claimed Theranos could run hundreds of medical tests from a single drop of blood. The technology never worked. Theranos processed most tests on conventional machines while presenting fraudulent results to investors, partners (including Walgreens and Safeway), and patients — some of whom received false positive HIV or cancer results. Holmes was convicted of fraud in 2022 and sentenced to 11 years. Theranos became the defining cautionary tale of Silicon Valley's "fake it till you make it" culture.