Check out the handwritten instructions Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes said her ex-boyfriend, who she claims was abusive, wrote for her

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Hannah Towey,Sarah JacksonDec 3, 2021, 01:34 IST
Check out the handwritten instructions Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes said her ex-boyfriend, who she claims was abusive, wrote for her

Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images (Holmes). Justin Sullivan/Getty Images (Balwani).

  • On Monday, Elizabeth Holmes testified that Ramesh Balwani, her ex-boyfriend and former president and COO, was abusive.
  • Submitted evidence includes handwritten instructions Holmes claims Balwani wrote, per The Verge.

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes said her ex-boyfriend and former Theranos president and COO Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani wrote her a list of instructions about how to conduct business as she testified that he was abusive on Monday.

A lawyer for Balwani that attended Holmes' testimony denied the abuse allegations against his client, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

The three-page document includes edicts such as "I will only spend time on things that are most important to cash flow...," "I will never meet with anyone (direct report especially) for more than five minutes unless I have written down why," and "create a file for each person you deal with."

On the stand, Holmes identified the note as containing Balwani's handwriting and testified that he told her on multiple occasions that she needed to "become a new Elizabeth" in order to succeed in life and business.

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The first page is titled "non-negotiables (people)" and lists four business recommendations on how to manage people, communicate with others, and allocate time.

The first page is titled "non-negotiables (people)" and lists four business recommendations on how to manage people, communicate with others, and allocate time.
United States v. Elizabeth A. Holmes

The second page is titled "Pursuit of Success in Business" and creates a roadmap for people without a "natural instinct for business." The Verge reports that Holmes testified that "he was talking about me."

The second page is titled "Pursuit of Success in Business" and creates a roadmap for people without a "natural instinct for business." The Verge reports that Holmes testified that "he was talking about me."
United States v. Elizabeth A. Holmes
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The final page of the note breaks down success into two ingredients: (1) discipline and (2) "self-discovery through WRITING (not reading)." It then lists specific courses of action to take.

The final page of the note breaks down success into two ingredients: (1) discipline and (2) "self-discovery through WRITING (not reading)." It then lists specific courses of action to take.
United States v. Elizabeth A. Holmes

The relationship between Holmes and Balwani is expected to be key to Holmes' defense. Holmes' attorneys previously told Insider they planned to accuse Balwani of abuse to bolster their argument that she wasn't making her own decisions during the time prosecutors allege she was working to defraud investors and doctors.

"I think that the testimony was powerful in trying to portray her as a victim," Dr. Jill Huntley Taylor, a jury and trial consultant, told Insider. "Jurors always look at these cases as who's the big guy and who's a little guy, how good or bad are each of the parties."

As for the testimony's impact on the jury's final decision, Taylor said "some jurors are going to be still very focused on the law — did she knowingly make false statements with the intent to deceive. Other types of jurors are going to take a more complex or more emotional approach to their view of the case."

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