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If a scam involving high-up US[1] people (Kissinger was on the board) wants to involve you, here's a table for what will happen depending on your intended role:
by whatshisface 4y ago
If a scam involving high-up US[1] people (Kissinger was on the board) wants to involve you, here's a table for what will happen depending on your intended role:
Co-conspirator (everyone else organizing it): Nothing
Front person who talks directly with the higher-ups (Holmes): You'll get dragged through the media, but the high-ups won't let you get ruined lest everyone else see it and refuse to work with them next time they're looking for someone.
Axe-man who does the front person's dirty work (Balwani): You'll get thrown under the bus, because after working as the axe man for a few years, you've absorbed all the direct personal anger and discarding you means getting rid of part of the anger.
Peon (Theranos employees): You'll be hounded on the basis of your boss's guilty paranoia even if you want to comply and take home a paycheck, and when it all comes down you'll be out a few years of your life with nothing to show for it. Of course, this is no worse an end than what awaits employees at cultlike startups with bad management, except for the fact that you might unwittingly become a directly culpable axe-man bit by bit without noticing what you're becoming inseparable from.
[1] If the high-ups aren't enmeshed within the governing body you're beholden to, they can't protect you even if you're an equal co-conspirator or a front person they might need another one of in the future, and this ranking doesn't apply.
- avalys 4y agoWho made money on this “scam”? It’s quite a stretch to say that Holmes isn’t “ruined” at this point .
- tmp_anon_22 4y agoShe recently married a wealthy hotel heir (and is having a child with them). Her assets may be protected, but she will live a wealthy lifestyle for the rest of her life.
- CalChris 4y agoHard to say. a16z invested in Adam Neumann's crypto startup.
- misiti3780 4y agoa16z crypto fund will be in the toilet in 10 years.
- thrown321 4y agoOnly cause he offered them free rent.
- Waterluvian 4y agoI read Carreyou’s book and it was rather clear that Sunny and Elizabeth were the masterminds of this fraud. Do you have any evidence to suggest otherwise?
- rwc 4y agoThere was an entire trial that intended to get at the heart of that question.
- Waterluvian 4y agoYea I believe there was. And did it?
- FireBeyond 4y agoBoth found guilty seems to indicate it did.
- mikeyouse 4y agoHolmes definitely didn't get away with anything.. she's not going to be sentenced until September but you can calculate her expected sentence yourself.. The DoJ guidelines for calculating the offense level: https://guidelines.ussc.gov/gl/%C2%A72B1.1 https://guidelines.ussc.gov/gl/%C2%A72B1.1 Federal sentencing matrix: https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/guidelines-manual/2016/Sentencing_Table.pdf https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/guidelines-manu... Just looking at the first charge of 4. She was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Base offense: 7, but the enhancements get huge in a hurry. I don't know how much they're going to pin on her, but call it $150M? That's a 26 point enhancement. So can go down the chart to row 33 and see what a first time offender should be sentenced to: 135–168 months in Federal prison. In her best case, she's sentenced to 11 years and can get out with good behavior after 9.5. Worst case she's sentenced to 14 years and can get out in 12. Safe to say she'll be in Federal prison for a decade. I don't have a strong opinion on what's "appropriate" for financial fraud, she'll be paying a ton of restitution as well, but 10 years behind bars is no joke.
- shrubble 4y agoDidn't she just have a baby? And Balwani was the very bad man that she started dating at 18 when he was 37? I predict very little jail time.
- sillysaurusx 4y agoIs that how sentencing works? (I honestly have no idea.)
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