Alex Gibney’s Theranos Scandal Documentary

   In Silicon Valley, where “fake it till you make it” is a mantra, Elizabeth Holmes stood out. Theranos, the company she founded, drew the support and accolades of investors and senior statesmen alike – that is until a Wall Street Journal reporter’s prying questions spelled the beginning of the end. What originally looked like a revolutionary technology in blood sampling quickly became a scandal that swept the nation. Today we are joined by award-winning business and tech broadcaster, and host of the Gender Knot, Nastaran Tavakoli-Far, as we explore the Theranos saga through the lens of Alex Gibney’s The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019). We discuss how this fraud was able to happen and to what extent the culture of SiliconValley is to blame. A fantastically made documentary about a dangerous company, it makes us question yet again the cult of charismatic leaders. “That’s the beauty of America that if you’ve got a big idea you’re not necessarily going to be laughed at. She kept referencing a Thomas Edison quote, that if you fail ten thousand times, that’s so you get it right the ten thousand and first time.” – Nastaran Tavakoli-Far Time Stamps: 01:37 – The film we’re going to be looking at today. 02:08 – Why Nas chose this film. 03:28 – The story of Theranos. 06:11 – Whether Elizabeth was setting out to commit fraud from the beginning. 07:15 – The negative aspects of Silicon Valley culture. 10:09 – The different ways journalists covered the story. 14:25 – Analysing the John Carreyrou clip, and how he was able to see through the fraud. 15:57 – The danger to people’s lives. 18:11 – Elizabeth’s past and what drove her to start Theranos. 19:22 – Why the documentary is so gripping and successful. 25:05 – The way the documentary is edited and presented. 28:58 – How her femininity influenced people to believe her and accept her.  29:44 – Why this could only happen in America. 32:57 – The reasons no one spotted her earlier on. 37:36 – All of the people that were involved with Elizabeth. 39:05 – Nas’s impressions of America when she was younger. 41:08 – What Nas’s impressions of America are now. Resources: The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley Theranos The Gender Knot Alamo Pictures  Connect with Factual America: Instagram Twitter Connect with Nastaran Tavakoli-Far: LinkedIn  Connect with Matthew Sherwood: Twitter