Theranos on battlefield medevac helicopters
Elizabeth Holmes — CEO, Theranos, Inc. Magazine / Fortune Cover Profiles
“Our devices were deployed on medevac helicopters in Afghanistan to save soldiers' lives by diagnosing internal injuries in flight before landing.”
Elizabeth Holmes sworn deposition — sworn federal trial cross-examination, US District Court for the Northern District of California
“Prosecutor: 'Ms. Holmes, was the Theranos device ever deployed on a military medevac helicopter?' Holmes: 'No, it was not.' Prosecutor: 'Did you tell journalists it was?' Holmes: 'I did.'”
The Split:For years, Holmes burnished Theranos with patriotic valor, claiming her machines saved wounded troops on military helicopters. Under sworn cross-examination, she admitted it was an outright fabrication.
Patriotic, military-grade claims from consumer technology companies are often unvetted marketing fairy tales designed to suppress skepticism.