Liquid Sisters: Comparing the Con Artistry of Diana Nyad and Elizabeth Holmes

Wall St. Journal investigative reporter John Carreyrou, in his recent book BAD BLOOD, writes about a charismatic, driven woman who professes that nothing is impossible if you only just believe hard enough. No, he wasn’t talking about Diana Nyad, he was talking about Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of the disgraced medical technology firm Theranos.

Turns out it takes a bit more than that.

In March, the SEC charged Holmes with “massive fraud.” Last month, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California indicted Holmes for wire fraud and conspiracy.

Besides charisma and drive, Holmes and Nyad share other characteristics of accomplished con artists. Here’s one: the ability to convince people of the supposed purity of their motives. Former Secretary of State George Shultz on Holmes:
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