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Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and her ex-boyfriend and former business partner Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani exchanged amorous – and sometimes paranoid – texts while trying to troubleshoot issues with their startup’s blood testing machines, show recently posted messages.
“I really want to be home so badly. I feel like I am [sic] live another life, ”Balwani, then president of the Silicon Valley startup, wrote in November 2013 as he visited his mother in the hospital.
“I know,” replied Holmes. “It’s so strange not to come home.”
According to an exhibit filed Tuesday in connection with Holmes’ ongoing wire fraud trial in San Jose, Calif., Balwani later added, “We need to take control of the business. I miss you.”
“I miss you more,” replied Holmes.
Holmes, 37, and Balwani, 56, are accused of defrauding patients and investors in a multi-million dollar scheme linked to their portable blood labs, which they say could screen for hundreds of diseases in using only a blood prick on the finger. But prosecutors say they advertised their machines and installed them in Walgreens stores knowing the technology was flawed and providing inaccurate results.
The former couple have pleaded not guilty to several counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Balwani, who was Holmes’ deputy and whom former employees have called a tyrant, is due to stand trial early next year.
While prosecutors have been bringing up batches of seemingly romantic texts in court since last week, Holmes has also accused Balwani of physical and emotional abuse. Balwani’s attorneys, in recently unsealed documents, said Holmes had considered testifying as part of her defense that Balwani was in control of her and decimated “her ability to make decisions.”
According to text messages filed in court, in October 2014, Balwani advised Holmes, “Be careful what you say. They will steal ideas. Although it is not known who Balwani was referring to, he added an hour later: “Change your energy please.”
“You are a breeze in the desert for me … My water. And the ocean. … Destined to be a tiger together.“
– Elizabeth holmes
The cache also includes a message from Holmes’ mother Noel, who thanked the couple and Elizabeth’s brother Chris for their hospitality on a trip to Palo Alto. “It was wonderful to be together,” Noel wrote, “and thank you for taking us to our favorite restaurant twice!”
Noel Holmes seems to suggest that Elizabeth was becoming a tech celebrity in some way. “Obviously, they say you are dating him, which is why Sheryl and Mark suddenly show up,” Noel wrote in the text string.
“I meant Marissa, not Sheryl,” the mother added, possibly referring to former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer.
The following month, Balwani discussed the issues with Theranos lab and customer service and a lab manager being “exhausted.” Balwani texted Holmes: “Basically we have to stop fighting fires by not creating them. “
He later described the Theranos lab, codenamed “Normandy” and where the startup’s proprietary devices were kept, as “a fucking disaster area”. “I’m glad I came here,” Balwani wrote. “I will work to resolve this problem.”
Throughout their exchanges, however, Holmes referred to Balwani as “my tiger” and “my king” in his own posts.
She even got poetic about her love for Balwani in posts posted last week.
“You are a breeze in the wilderness to me,” Holmes wrote in May 2015. “My water. And the ocean. … Destined to be a tiger together.
“Passionately in love with you and your strength,” she added.
About 15 minutes later, Balwani replied, “I am tired today. Spending so much time on bullshit and none on software or things that build our product.
The next day, the couple were busy identifying employees who they said had leaked “trade secrets” and chatted to the the Wall Street newspaper. They discussed suing Rochelle Gibbons, the widow of startup chief scientist Ian Gibbons, for libel and sending a legal letter to an alleged leaker named “Tyler.” The latter was presumably Tyler Shultz, a key whistleblower in the Theranos scandal and grandson of former Secretary of State and board member George Shultz, who was a tireless supporter of Holmes.
” On all [sic] the challenges are the greatest opportunities, ”Holmes wrote to Balwani.
“Absolutely. This one is pretty easy to beat,” Balwani replied.
In some exchanges, Balwani appeared to be a bargain despite the openings to Holmes’ starry eyes.
In June 2015, Balwani texted Holmes: “I miss you.
“Me more,” she replied, adding, “I was thinking of you this morning.”
“We need to stay focused and vigilant,” Balwani replied. “We are lazy and disorganized and not focused.”
“Tonight is Friday night,” Holmes wrote. “I thought about the same things you know. I was sending it in the context of you and me.
“Even in the context of you and me, we have to stay focused as we die during the day,” Balwani said, before correcting his typo: “During.”
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