Never-Before-Seen Two-Hour Elizabeth Holmes Interview From Her Theranos Peak Might Be Released
Filmmaker Errol Morris says he has a two-hour interview with Elizabeth Holmes, filmed when Theranos was at the height of its success, and is interested in releasing it. The footage could offer a rare view of Holmes before the company collapsed, alongside the later version depicted in a recent film.
Morris said he had no reason at the time to believe Holmes was a fraud, though his view changed. He previously tried to make a documentary about her but could not proceed amid litigation and her indictment; he says he believed she genuinely thought her work would succeed. The film mentioned in the article earned $45 million domestically in its first 10 days and expanded from 855 to 2,655 cinemas.
In short
- Errol Morris has an unseen two-hour interview with Elizabeth Holmes.
- It was filmed during Theranos’s peak.
- Morris is interested in releasing it.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Releasing the interview could give the public a rare contemporaneous record of Holmes and Theranos at the height of the company’s success, helping viewers compare her stated ambitions with what later emerged. Morris’s account that he believed she was sincere may add context to how the company persuaded observers, and the footage could support scrutiny of both Holmes and the people who trusted her.
The case against
A release could invite viewers to treat a filmed conversation as proof of Holmes’s motives or character, even though an interview cannot establish what she knew or believed. Given the litigation and later conviction, presenting the footage without careful context could blur the distinction between her public claims and the evidence about Theranos, or turn a serious case into entertainment.
Explained simply
Theranos was a US health technology company founded by Elizabeth Holmes. It claimed its machines could run many blood tests using just a few drops of blood, attracting major investors and attention before questions arose about whether the technology worked as promised.
Holmes became one of the best-known figures in Silicon Valley, while filmmaker Errol Morris sought to make a documentary about her. The company later collapsed, and Holmes was convicted of fraud in connection with misleading investors; the story has since been told in films and other accounts.
The interview matters because it was recorded while Theranos was still widely seen as successful. It may show how Holmes presented herself and her plans at the time, offering material for comparison with later accounts of the company and its founder.