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Bad Blood

John Carreyrou, 2018

Theranos promised hundreds of tests from a drop of blood. Follow how the machines failed, doubters were silenced, and a reporter's sources exposed what patients had been told.

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11 parts, about 30 minutes to read.

Why read it

  • Reconstructs how a blood testing startup faked demos, hid failed machines and ran tests on ordinary lab equipment while promising a finger prick breakthrough
  • Shows how secrecy, lawsuits and threats silenced employees and board members who raised doubts
  • Follows the reporter's own investigation, from a confidential source to the front page story and the regulators who then acted

Who it is for

  • Readers interested in how startup hype can harm real patients
  • Investors, board members and employees weighing a company's claims
  • Readers who like investigative journalism and business scandal

What the summary covers

  1. A demo that was not what it seemed2 min
  2. A drop of blood and a glue robot3 min
  3. Silencing the doubters2 min
  4. Sunny and the retail bet3 min
  5. Promises the machines could not keep3 min
  6. Lawyers and a casualty2 min
  7. Going live3 min
  8. The grandson2 min
  9. The tip3 min
  10. Intimidation2 min
  11. Collapse and verdict5 min

Recommended by

  • Bill GatesMicrosoft cofounder and philanthropist
    Bad Blood tackles some serious ethical questions, but it is ultimately a thriller with a tragic ending. It’s a fun read full of bizarre details that will make you gasp out loud.
  • Bethany McLeanBestselling coauthor of The Smartest Guys in the Room
    You will not want to put this riveting, masterfully reported book down. No matter how bad you think the Theranos story was, you’ll learn that the reality was actually far worse.
  • Eric TopolCardiologist and professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research
    The combination of these brave whistle-blowers, and a tenacious journalist who interviewed 150 people (including 60 former employees) makes for a veritable page-turner.

About the author

  • John CarreyrouInvestigative reporter at The New York Times who shared two Pulitzer Prizes with Wall Street Journal teams
    • Born to a French journalist father and an American mother, he grew up in Paris.
    • He studied political science and government at Duke University, graduating in 1994.
    • He joined The Wall Street Journal Europe in Brussels in 1999 and moved to Paris in 2001.
    • His Theranos articles began in late 2015, questioning the firm's claim that it could run many lab tests from a finger prick of blood.
    • For his Theranos coverage he received the George Polk Award, a Gerald Loeb Award and a Barlett & Steele Silver Award.
    • He left The Wall Street Journal in August 2019, saying he wanted to keep writing nonfiction books.
    • In 2021 he released a podcast, Bad Blood: The Final Chapter, covering the trial of Elizabeth Holmes.
    • He joined The New York Times as an investigative reporter in early 2023.

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