Theranos was touted as a revolutionary healthcare company that could run multiple tests using a single drop of blood. It received millions in funding, but soon the science and testing behind the company was exposed to be a lie. Holmes, the CEO of Theranos, was convicted on four counts of conspiracy and wire fraud.

As Theranos continues to make headlines, here’s how staff who worked at the company described their time under Holmes and Balwani.

The green juice obsession

According to Leona Marlene, a former Theranos employee between 2012 and 2014 and assistant to Holmes, the Theranos CEO was obsessed with green juice. Marlene had to make two trips a day to a health store to pick up the beverage for the former CEO. In multiple TikTok videos, Marlene said she had to be at Wholefoods at 7am to pick up four green juices and return later in the afternoon to pick up another four so they could be “fresh”. Marlene also said she worked 18-hour days and would often buy the green juices in bulk, telling Holmes she had bought them fresh, when they had actually been in the fridge.

Refinery29 reported that Holmes was a firm believer in “biohacking”, which is a process of experimenting with diet and environment to try and get control of one’s biology. Holmes is known to have adopted a vegan diet early in her career, apparently claiming that not eating animal products helped her work more hours with little sleep. John Carreyrou wrote in his book Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup that Holmes had a chef who made her salads and juice throughout the day. According to an old profile in Fortune, Holmes said her food is bland and free of dressing and spices.

Working hours

Marlene described how she and her colleagues were so passionate about the idea that they were playing some part in history that they didn’t set boundaries and just worked all the time.

Marlene said her rate was US$18 per hour, but she ended up making six figures because she worked so much over time. Her official work hours were from 9am to 8pm, and she said she worked most Saturdays and Sundays.

She said employees were not allowed to talk to each other, but noted that many defied this and met secretly for “happy hours”.

The former executive assistant said she met some of her best friends at Theranos and she had not spoken about her time at the company for years, adding that she was “mildly terrified” of Holmes and Balwani and still somehow thought she would get into trouble for talking about them.

The Christmas jerseys

A life in limbo

As Holmes went on trial last year, former staff members said they felt like they could not move on with their lives. According to a CNN report, one person said recruiters were hesitant to employ someone who had been part of the sham that Theranos was exposed to be.

Janina Dong, a former recruiting manager at Theranos, said she doubted her own ability and decided to work part-time as a result, reports CNN. Another staff member claimed that she had taken six months off after Theranos was shut down because she was exhausted physically and emotionally.