Elizabeth Holmes — The $9 Billion Fraud in a Turtleneck

Holmes modeled herself on Steve Jobs — black turtleneck, baritone voice (reportedly fake), Reality Distortion Field cranked to maximum. She convinced Walgreens, Henry Kissinger, Rupert Murdoch, and the U.S. military that Theranos could run 200+ blood tests from a single finger prick. It couldn't do one. Peak valuation: $9 billion. She's now serving 11 years in federal prison. The HBO documentary, the Hulu series (Amanda Seyfried earned an Emmy nom), and the book Bad Blood made her the most famous fraudster since Bernie Madoff. She proved that in Silicon Valley, CEO celebrity can substitute for a working product — until it can't.