(San Francisco) Elizabeth Holmes, the former Silicon Valley star, admitted during her fraud trial Tuesday that she brought in Rupert Murdoch, the owner of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), to try to prevent the American daily from publishing the investigation that precipitated the bankruptcy of its start-up, Theranos.
The newspaper mogul had just invested more than $ 100 million in the company that promised to revolutionize blood diagnostics, but whose machines never performed as promised.
In 2015, the ex-leader sent him an email saying that he would undoubtedly want to “be aware” of the writing of an article critical of the start-up.
“I cannot say it any other way, the way we handled the Wall Street Journal was a disaster, ”Elizabeth Holmes said Tuesday.
The charismatic entrepreneur was 19 when she founded Theranos in 2003.
In recent days, with the help of her lawyers, she has portrayed herself as a bona fide innovator, who admittedly made mistakes, but believed deeply in the potential of her technology.
She risks decades in prison if the prosecution manages to convince the jury that she knowingly sought to deceive investors and the public.
To prosecutor Robert Leach, who asked her why an employee who revealed information to the WSJ was fired and threatened with legal action, she conceded, “I don’t think she was right, but she really should have been treated differently. ”
On Monday, she recounted being under the psychological influence of her ex-director of operations and lover, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, 19 years her senior, who would have controlled her actions very closely for years. allegedly denigrated and forced her to have sex against her will.
Robert Leach, him, put forward love exchanges between the two ex-partners.
With tears in her eyes, Elizabeth read this message that Mr. Balwani had written to her: “You are the tigress and fighter sent by God. You are amazing. I love you. ”
The ex-leader, who is to be tried separately, has denied accusations of abuse, described by his lawyer as “saucy and inflammatory” in court documents.
The defense strategy of Mme Holmes also seems to consist in blaming Mr Balwani, but also his former laboratory director.
But “at the end of the day, everything that happens in your business is your responsibility, right? Robert Leach asked the accused.
“That’s how I saw it,” she replied.