Elizabeth Holmes Merch Is a Hot Seller

Alleged fraudster still has lots of fans
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 14, 2021 7:35 AM CDT
For Sale: a $17K Lab Coat
Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of Theranos, left, leaves the Robert F. Peckham Federal Building in downtown San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.   (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group via AP)

In spite of her upcoming fraud trial—or maybe because of it—the Elizabeth Holmes brand appears to still be a hot one, reports CNBC. The outlet found all kinds of fast-selling merchandise brandishing the name of Holmes or her defunct Theranos company on sites ranging from eBay to Etsy. Think mugs, T-shirts, and even a Theranos lab coat, billed as authentic, going for $17,000. Holmes, of course, was once a fast rising young star of Silicon Valley before her fortunes crashed on allegations that her company duped patients and investors with bogus claims about its blood-testing technology. A PR expert says the enduring popularity isn't surprising.

“She was the youngest female billionaire, self-made entrepreneur, and even though we found out it was allegedly fraud—she sold something that was revolutionary," says Mark Macias of Macias PR. A search of TikTok, Twitter, etc., will turn up lots of people proudly posing with merch saying things like, "Elizabeth Holmes is my #GirlBoss.” The latest chronicling of the Holmes story is coming in the form of a Hulu miniseries starring Amanda Seyfried, notes Variety. The 37-year-old faces 20 years in prison if she's convicted of the various fraud charges against her. (Holmes is due to deliver her first child next month.)

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