What was it like to work for Elizabeth Holmes at Theranos? Here’s what former employees say about The Dropout’s disgraced billionaire CEO, from her Steve Jobs turtleneck to no-talking policies

Apr 14 , 2022

What was it really like working for disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes? Photo: Getty

Former assistant Leona Marlene revealed on TikTok the healthcare start-up’s horrific working environment, in which staff weren’t allowed to talk and had 18-hour days, including weekends

Holmes and Ramesh ‘Sunny’ Balwani created a culture of fear, but she’d always make sure to have her daily dose of Wholefoods green juice and vegan salads

The trial of Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani continues just months after a jury convicted his ex-girlfriend, Elizabeth Holmes, of defrauding investors. Balwani has described himself as an “investor” in the failed start-up, but the government is using his own words, where he said via text he was involved in every aspect of Theranos, against him. Meanwhile, former Theranos staffers continue to speak their truth about their time at the company.

Erika Cheung is a whistleblower and former Theranos employee. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Former employee and Theranos whistle-blower Erika Cheung, played by actress Camryn Mi-Young Kim in The Dropout, talked about her experience in a 2020 TED Talk, but she isn’t the only one who’s spoken up since the company was exposed.

Theranos was touted as a revolutionary healthcare company that could run multiple tests using a single drop of blood. It received millions in funding, but soon the science and testing behind the company was exposed to be a lie. Holmes, the CEO of Theranos, was convicted on four counts of conspiracy and wire fraud.

As Theranos continues to make headlines, here’s how staff who worked at the company described their time under Holmes and Balwani.

The green juice obsession

According to Leona Marlene, a former Theranos employee between 2012 and 2014 and assistant to Holmes, the Theranos CEO was obsessed with green juice. Marlene had to make two trips a day to a health store to pick up the beverage for the former CEO. In multiple TikTok videos, Marlene said she had to be at Wholefoods at 7am to pick up four green juices and return later in the afternoon to pick up another four so they could be “fresh”. Marlene also said she worked 18-hour days and would often buy the green juices in bulk, telling Holmes she had bought them fresh, when they had actually been in the fridge.

Refinery29 reported that Holmes was a firm believer in “biohacking”, which is a process of experimenting with diet and environment to try and get control of one’s biology. Holmes is known to have adopted a vegan diet early in her career, apparently claiming that not eating animal products helped her work more hours with little sleep. John Carreyrou wrote in his book Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup that Holmes had a chef who made her salads and juice throughout the day. According to an old profile in Fortune, Holmes said her food is bland and free of dressing and spices.

Working hours

Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes, pre-fashion makeover, in Hulu’s The Dropout. Photo: Handout