Is Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes' secret wedding her latest scam?
Disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes (35) has reportedly gotten married to her fiancé, hotel heir Billy Evans (27), in a secret ceremony. News of her marriage comes as Holmes faces trial for erecting the multi-billion dollar fraud that was Theranos, a now-defunct health technology corporation. It has sparked many a rumor if the marriage is yet another one of her scams. Here's more.
No Theranos employees were invited to the wedding
The Vanity Fair, in its podcast Inside the Hive with Nick Bilton, revealed that Holmes tied the knot with Evans secretly. Bilton said that no Theranos employees were invited to the wedding even though Holmes is "still friendly with some of her Theranos folks." Bilton also addressed rumors that Holmes has gotten married to support legal expenses as "she doesn't have any money."
'Evans probably helping out with legal bills'
"He [Evans] is a trust fund baby and has a lot of money, and he's probably helping out with the legal bills because Elizabeth's family doesn't have money either," Bilton said. Bilton addressed rumors circulating among former Theranos employees, saying, "Holmes is going to get pregnant before she gets on the stand because she'll look very sympathetic as a pregnant woman on the stand."
Evans' family doesn't approve of relationship: Sources
Holmes reportedly got engaged to Evans four to five months ago and sent out wedding invites in March, New York Post reported. Evans' family isn't too happy with their relationship either. A source said, "His family is like, 'What the f-k are you doing?' It's like he's been brainwashed," adding that Evans claims the media "has it all wrong about her."
Holmes-Evans wedding was rumored earlier this month
To note, news of their wedding first emerged earlier this month, when Page Six reported that Evans' close friend revealed to the Bitch Sesh podcast- hosted by Casey Wilson and Danielle Schneider- that the two were married. An audience member told Page Six the "friend" claimed to have had 'Friendsgiving' with the couple and added that they have a stripper pole in their apartment.
So, who is Billy Evans?
Evans, a 2015 MIT graduate, is the heir to Evans Hotels, founded in 1953 by his grandfather. Currently, the hotels are run by Evans' father and aunt. He reportedly first met Holmes at a Bay Area party in summer 2017.
Meanwhile, Holmes awaits trial with ex-boyfriend Sunny Balwani
It's interesting how Holmes planned a wedding in between court appearances. Holmes and ex-boyfriend and Theranos CEO Sunny Balwani, are being charged with nine counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, they could face 20 years of prison time. Both have pleaded not guilty. The duo is set to appear in court in July to discuss a trial date.
Here's a brief history of the Theranos scam
With Theranos, Holmes set out to create 'Edison'- a machine she claimed could conduct 240+ comprehensive tests with a single drop of blood. Founded in 2004, Theranos gained investors through Holmes' hollow stories, which were found to have no practical weight. However, a 2015 Wall Street Journal exposé blew the lid off the fraud. Once valued at $9 billion, Theranos was forced into bankruptcy.
An HBO documentary details how Holmes pulled off the scam
In March, HBO's documentary on the Theranos scandal- The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, directed and written by Alex Gibney- revealed how "the world's youngest self-made female billionaire" managed to fool some of the smartest people on the planet.
