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Transcript · All-In Podcast

Billy Evans Speaks Out: Elizabeth Holmes' Trial, Prison & Nathan Fielder’s Documentary

41:49English, auto-generated captions8,228 words · 33 min read
In short · Summary by AI

Billy Evans, Elizabeth Holmes's partner and husband, sits down with the All-In hosts to share his account of their relationship, the Theranos trial, and Holmes's prison sentence. He argues the public story is misleading, that Holmes was convicted only of investor fraud and acquitted on patient counts, and that a documentary is coming to show who she really is. He also talks about raising their children while she is incarcerated and about his new diagnostics company.

Transcript

Introducing Billy Evans

0:00Billy Evans, who is Elizabeth Holmes's partner, the subject of the forthcoming documentary you can see everything, has had an unconventional love story with her fiance Billy [music] Evans. The couple first connected as federal authorities were investigating Holmes for fraud and conspiracy connected to her failed [music] blood testing startup Theranos.
0:16>> A new documentary is offering an unprecedented look into the life of Elizabeth Holmes, the tech CEO turned convicted felon. [music] >> At the center of a massive multi-year fraud. >> Elizabeth Holmes was sentenced [music] today to 11 and a quarter years in prison, four counts of criminal fraud. >> The disgraced tycoon and her fiance Billy Evans >> Please welcome Billy Evans.
0:46>> [music]

How They First Met

0:54>> Welcome. >> What's up? Hi everyone. >> Have a seat. Have [clears throat] you ever done a live interview like this? >> Dude, I've never done an interview. >> You've never done an interview. >> Thank you guys all for being the guinea pigs here. I I appreciate it and apologies. >> You're Elizabeth Holmes's husband?
1:11>> That's typically not how I love to be introduced. Um yeah, my name's Billy Evans and yes, Elizabeth Holmes is my wife and best friend and partner. >> You and I met at a party. >> Yeah. >> Um two a year and a half ago, I think. >> Yeah, around F1, I think in Honestly >> yeah, that's right. Um and we started talking and it that kind of got us kind of chatting about Elizabeth and the case and the history.
1:37>> Yeah, I think I came up to you when I said David, my name's Billy Evans. Uh you guys talk about my wife a lot on your podcast. And you've got a lot of the story pretty fundamentally wrong. So, if you're ever interested in learning some more details, I'm happy to read you in. >> I'd had a couple drinks.
1:53I'm like, "Sure." >> I'll He was great. >> I'll hear I'll hear of the story. >> Yeah. >> [cough] >> And [clears throat] one thing led to another, we talked on the phone, and I ended up getting on a plane to Texas. And I went and visited Elizabeth in prison. I spent the day with her and you, >> Yeah. >> and her parents, and the kids going quite deep into the whole thing, and there was a lot more to the story uh than what I think had been portrayed.
2:25And I was aware of the documentary. I had heard in Hollywood that this documentary was happening. And I had heard that it >> But it was a pretty well-kept secret. >> Yeah, but I I know people. >> Yeah, well, I don't doubt it. Look at the crowd. >> Yeah. And well, so the secret got out. I want to get to that.
2:38We're not going to litigate the case today, the Theranos case. That's Elizabeth's story to tell when the time is right. And she was under a gag order until last April. >> Yeah. >> So from the time that the DOJ began their investigation, Elizabeth was under a gag order through the trial and through the appeals process, which ended last April, I believe.
3:00>> Yeah, so one thing for people to know about her, which might shock you, is that Elizabeth follows rules maniacally, like to a T. So when the judge said that we are going to litigate this court in the courtroom and not in the media, she held true to that. >> But she never spoke to the media. >> No, for for the entirety of the process.
3:23She remained silent. >> a lot of articles being written. >> Yeah, and movies being made and podcasts. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Um So, you know, there's a lot to the story which we're not going to talk about today, the trial and the case. But I'm curious to hear a little bit about the experience. Okay, so maybe we can go back.

Early Relationship and Indictment

3:39How did you and Elizabeth first meet? >> Yeah. Um Elizabeth and I met at a Fleet Week party in San Francisco on the roof of some venture capitalist. He was trying to hire me and date her. Um I was going to be there for like maybe 5 minutes. I had 100 people coming over to a house I lived in with four other guys and we were going to throw a big Fleet Week party.
4:01>> [snorts] >> And he called me when I went out to go grab ice and he said, "Billy, you know, are you coming by our event today?" I said, "Of course." I totally forgotten. So, I drove over to his place, I parked my car in the red, I went up the elevator, and few minutes later, he introduced me to Elizabeth.
4:17And that killed my whole afternoon. I mean, the next, I don't know, two and a half, three hours, uh, her and I just spoke and we started a conversation that really has never ended. Um, and I don't know if I can say I fell in love with her in that moment, but she was just incredible. Her ability to listen and really care about everything that you're saying.
4:38She made you feel so seen. She was infinitely curious about the smallest things that nobody else really cared about or too you know, cool to to pretend like it mattered. Um, as the planes flew overhead, she was just amazed by them with this like childlike wonder. And when I first met her, I didn't know she was Elizabeth Holmes.
4:56She was just Elizabeth. She was wearing a big floppy hat and dark sunglasses and had a band-aid on her face because her puppy husky had just scratched her and some way through the middle of the conversation, it turned to where we worked, like physically. And I told her that I worked on Page Mill Road.
5:13She said, "Oh, no way, where?" I said, "The 1891." And she said, you know, "I'm 1790" or something. She was two doors down and then that's when I really put it together. >> And what was What year was this and what was the state of the Theranos story at that point? >> Yeah, so this was October 7th of 2017 that we first met.
5:31Um, it was peak like bad. >> So, this was after the DOJ the case >> It was before she was indicted. >> Before she was indicted. Yeah. It was the Carreyrou article machine had started. >> a hundred of them. Those were already out there. >> They had been out there. So, she had this reputation >> A horrible reputation.
5:49>> Fraudster, all this sort of stuff. >> Yes. >> And so, you're saying that when you first met her, it was her, who she is, that you kind of engaged with, not the story of Elizabeth Holmes, and then you found out it was her. >> Yeah, I mean, it's like the, you know, 30 people that I've spoken to while I've been here, where I know nothing about their story.
6:04I'm just seeing the person in front of me. >> So, then when you found out who she really was, >> Yeah. >> you not just shut down and say, "What am I doing talking to her?" >> pretty hard to grok. I mean, it was like a hard thing to come to terms with, because you get to know this person separate and apart of how you're supposed to feel about them.
6:20And then, you invariably go back to this idea of like, this is who I've been told this person is. And those two things were so radically different from one another. Yeah, it was really challenging. >> Mhm. And then >> we didn't like just start dating, you know, like I met her, and then there was um you know, I was looking at renting her building.
6:39Because we were right next door, and our business was kind of doing this, and hers was doing this at that time. So, we were looking at renting the Theranos HQ, and that was kind of the context under which she gave me her business card, and you know, she crossed out her cell phone number on it, and wrote personal cells like, "Huh.
6:53Um maybe this just isn't business." And that's that's how we originally >> did you guys start hanging out? >> Yeah, so when I first met her, she told me that she had this husky. And I told her I had a dog. I didn't really have a dog. Uh it was my It was my roommate's [clears throat] dog, but he he was like mine.
7:10And the first times that we hung out, we'd just go on walks. And I was really curious about the circumstance, like probably many of you are, but it was >> that put me off at the time. You're curious to understand what's going on. >> I think I was most curious to understand the difference between the person that I experienced and the person that I told existed, was told like existed.
7:27And they were so different. Um I was really curious, and and it And I was interested in her, and she made me feel good, because she listened so intently. >> Mhm. >> But basically, we were friends for 6 months. We'd go on walks um with her dog and my like rent-a-dog that was my roommate's. >> And then there was a romantic turn.
7:50>> Yeah, and and it moved super quickly. Like, it went from us being friends I was traveling a lot at the time. So, I was working for a company that built LiDAR and we were selling to car companies around the world. So, I that year I spent maybe 12 trips to Germany and >> What was your role? >> Uh I was just solving the most important problems CEO didn't want didn't want to solve.
8:11Kind of like a startup type of special projects. Um so, everything from kind of sales to big uh automotive manufacturers to hiring executive team members to raising capital at times. Just really anything that needed to get done. You know, a startup. It's There's a lot of problems that need to be solved and I was just really willing to say yes.
8:29>> So, you guys kind of this becomes more serious, becomes emotional, and she's going through this court case. Right the indictment started? >> Yeah, I think like 3 weeks after we started dating, she got indicted. I mean, it's like one hell of an experience to fall in love with somebody so quickly and then immediately come to terms with like I didn't even know what an indictment was, okay?
8:49Like, I I was really unfamiliar with the entirety of this whole >> through a period of crisis in her life during this kind of courtship period? >> She is like cool as a cucumber. >> So, while this was happening, all the articles are coming out before the indictment, she was just she didn't feel super phased or >> No, I mean, there's certainly things to be freaked out about, but you have to put yourself in her mindset, which you know, I don't want to speak for her, but um I can share with you kind of the
9:14perspective that I saw, which is this is somebody that fundamentally believes in their innocence. Um and was being told at the time prior to the indictment like you're never going to get indicted. Uh you did nothing wrong. The company did nothing wrong. And I know that's hard for you guys to like comprehend and believe, but yes, this this is what was kind of going on behind the scenes.
9:35Um so, I think at each of these chapters in which, you know, like shitty thing after shitty thing happened, we're kind of perpetually surprised. >> It wasn't supposed to go this way. >> Yeah, yeah. I think that's a good way of describing it. >> Um, and then she gets indicted. >> Yeah. >> How was that?
9:54>> that's the first night I met her parents. Like, it's tough way to meet your in-laws. Um, >> How how was she? It's was obviously so she she it was mounting. There was a lot of articles and press about this, but >> of infinite press. But, she wouldn't read it. You know, we like I've seen, I don't know, maybe an episode and a half of The Dropout for reason maybe some of you guys will understand in the future.
10:18>> You didn't watch this. >> No, but I like you know, I I skimmed Bad Blood because like my lawyers told me to for other reasons. Um, but otherwise, I really didn't consume any media on the subject. Uh, >> And then she gets indicted. And how was this for your for you guys in your relationship at this point?
10:36I mean, now >> I was three weeks into a relationship with somebody. But, we were so close already because we'd spent six months like really being friends. Um, >> [snorts] >> It was intense, man. I mean, I I think part of it is it if I knew what I know now, like how how painful the process was, I probably would have responded differently at the time.
10:59But, I was in new territory. I I mean, let's see, this was 2018. Um, I don't know, I was like 26 years old, 27 years old. >> Yeah. And then the trial began. >> Well, it took a while for the trial. >> Right, cuz there was >> Right. So, we had like a long period of time in which there was this impending thing, and there was an enormous amount of time spent with lawyers and her working like late into the night uh, to go through hundreds of thousands of records and try and piece together a
11:34story that she didn't fully understand that was being told about her. Um so, it was a really intense time, but there's also some really beautiful moments in there, too. Like, you know, one thing that nobody knows, but I guess you guys are the first to know, is Elizabeth and I spent uh 8 months traveling the country in an off-road RV.

Life During the Media Storm

11:51We had our dog, Balto. He's a husky. And if you've never seen a husky like in the wild, it is a sight to be seen. Because that dog lived. And we just went to trailer parks and we went to uh national forest where you're allowed to stay and park your car for 14 days without moving it. And we would just hike all day and work at night, sit around the fire, and just be together.
12:14>> Well, at that time I had already left the business and I was starting something else. So, I was kind of working for myself. >> "Let's go be free, get away from all this." >> I think a part of it was just the enormous attention by the media when we were in San Francisco. I've got an entire collection on my phone of Here's how the situation works.
12:35We'd go into a restaurant and within 30 seconds six people would pull out their phones. And some of them were sneaky and others were pretending like they were taking a photo of their friend, but it was obvious. It was so uncomfortable. We couldn't go anywhere without immediately being recognized, immediately being judged.
12:55We go to a restaurant for a friend's, you know, dinners celebrating their anniversary or their engagement and then we'd have articles written about how Elizabeth Holmes is gallivanting around San Francisco. And it it it's hard to know how to act when every action that you take and every decision that you make and every place that you go is being judged through the eyes of a thousand angry journalists.
13:20>> There was this period of time when everyone talked about Elizabeth Holmes being manipulative >> Yeah. >> in wearing the turtleneck and talking with a deep voice and having this kind of character that she played where the idea was if she's playing a character for everyone else around here, you know, clearly she's playing a character all the time and that might be the origin of the the fraud, of the the manipulation.
13:44>> lot of things that have been said about that and some of them, I think if you just look back like with as much clarity as you can muster, um and try and disassociate Elizabeth Holmes from the situation as much as possible. If you just say it, like some of it's pretty crazy. You know, like that she would manipulate people with her big blue eyes and that her deep voice would immediately have people give her, you know, $100 million.
14:06It was like she was like a man. I mean, it's incredibly sexist. One. Um but yeah, I mean, I I read a lot of this stuff. No, you'd never say that about a man. No, Liz would have a meeting with somebody like oh not insert name here, but think like one of the biggest family offices on Earth. It would be a 45-minute meeting.
14:24They'd commit $100 million by the end of the meeting. And any guy that did that, people'd say, "Wow, what an incredible ability to tell a story. What an incredible ability to have deep conviction in the thing that you believe in that this person wants to support your mission and your vision." And when it's Liz, it's, "Wow, she fleeced that person 45 minutes."
14:48>> Okay. Um but then there's these stories about things that were misrepresented. The machine does this and then it doesn't do that. Again, I don't want to litigate the case. But was there any experience you had where Elizabeth stretched the truth, where she was kind of pushing the boundaries, where the imagination in her mind maybe became the reality?
15:11>> That's a good question. >> [snorts] >> Where the imagination became the reality.
15:21Liz is somebody who like so deeply believes and until you've met somebody like her, it's really hard to understand what that's like. Um but I think a lot of the things that are kind of most litigated in the press at least and most described uh this is not like the machinations of a woman of a single person.
15:39This was hundreds of employees working tirelessly for 16 years to solve a really difficult problem. So, you know, one of the things that I think has been largely um described as a fraudulent behavior was missing revenue numbers, right? She missed her revenue numbers. She should have known that that was going to come.
16:00And if you look at like where that comes from, just, you know, brief bit of the case, they had contractual obligations with Walgreens to pay them that amount of money. And then when bad press came out, then they defaulted on those obligations and then the business didn't fulfill those revenue obligations.
16:16So, then they missed it by a large number, but it wasn't like a made-up number. This was a number that was obligated to be paid by company that they had a contract >> number of Walgreens stores >> It's like 800 Walgreens stores. I'm a million dollars store. >> had done this contract to do that. >> Yeah, and they did >> And Walgreens stopped doing that after the Carreyrou article came out.

Trial, Pregnancy, and Family

16:34>> That's right. Yeah. >> You guys then start going through this process of preparing for the trial. Is that when you got pregnant? >> Uh well, she did. >> Sorry. I mean, this is like I don't know the right term. Did she get, you know, like it's always like you guys got pregnant. I'm like I didn't really do >> I'm always about five words away from being canceled.
16:51So, I'm going to watch myself. >> actually. >> Yeah, I think my X-File says already canceled. Um The question was what was like preparing? >> did Elizabeth get pregnant? >> Well, our son our son was born on July 10th of 20 >> did the case the trial start? It was supposed to start well before, but this was COVID.
17:10Like it was a really weird weird experience because we were all masked going into the courtroom. There's all these discussions about whether or not >> down and had a kid >> Yeah. >> knowing that there was this trial coming up. Was that ever a debate or a discussion about we've got potentially this case >> not like a planned and decided thing, just to be clear, okay?
17:29You know, sometimes God gives you gifts that are unexpected. >> Yeah. >> Um and I mean, it's been the greatest experience that I'll ever know. >> children? >> We have two children, yeah. So, my son uh is now five. >> Yeah. >> And my daughter's three. >> So, how was it going through the trial with these little kids and >> It was so gnarly.
17:48Like you know, anybody so many people say, you know, the reason why she did this or they did this was to get sympathy. Tell you what, first of all, the jury had no idea that this was happening. Like, Elizabeth was militant about not letting people see her in like a place of weakness at this time. So, we would wake up at 4:30 every morning with a baby, with Wills is his name.
18:09Um and we would Liz would feed him and we'd change him and we'd get him ready and then we'd put him back down and then she would start getting ready. And Liz like isn't very good at doing her hair and I like bought a Dyson Airwrap and would help her with that after watching YouTube videos and we'd get all prepped and get into the car with our family.
18:29So, typically her mom and myself and sometimes my mom and just our closest friends to go to what felt like war. Um it was really hard and she would pump milk all the way down with these like mobile pumps because our son was 3 months old when the trial started and he needed milk throughout the course of the day.
18:52And she bought, you know, a special diaper bag so it wouldn't look like a diaper bag so people wouldn't be able to say anything about it. And then we would during breaks during court, she would go to the bathroom and pump more milk and then I would collect it at lunch and I'd send it up in an Uber up to the house and then my mom or Liz's mom who was at the house would then fetus to her son, but it it was crushing to spend the first you know, two months away from this thing that you love more than
19:19everything in the world without the ability to hold them all the time. It was it was a it was a really tough timing. >> You guys think you were going to win the case? >> 100%. Yeah. 100%. >> There was only a few counts that she was convicted on. She was found not guilty. This is what a lot of people don't really get >> Yeah, so the basic math on it is that there was 13 counts.

Counts, Convictions, and Sentencing

19:38Um Liz ran about 12 and 1/2 million tests on patients at Theranos over an 18-month period. The government spent years investigating. >> 12 and 1/2 million blood tests on patients. >> Yeah. Yeah, it's not like a small number. It's a it's a pretty big number in a short period of time. And the next year they were going to do like 100 times more.
19:57I mean, they were going to be the third largest lab company in the country. >> After Quest and LabCorp. >> Yeah. And the year after that they would have been bigger than either of them. Um And Sorry, I lost my train of thought. Can somebody remind me where I was? >> Well, so we were um we were going through >> Oh, the counts.
20:15Yeah, so there was 13 counts um of the 12 and 1/2 million tests that she ran, the government brought forward four patients that they accused her of defrauding with inaccurate results. >> Patient fraud. >> Yeah, patient fraud. So, like you gave this person a bad result, you knowingly gave them a bad result, and you were responsible for having done so.
20:35Um Sh- She was acquitted of those counts. So, there was no evidence that was brought forward that was convincing to a jury that there was any fraud associated with patients. Um I think one thing that's really strange to me as a inside observer, but also at times an outside observer is diagnostics is like an inherently inaccurate space.
20:59Um 90% accuracy for some tests is good, and for other really inaccurate tests 70% is really good. So, if you're running 12 and 1/2 million tests, four patients isn't exactly statistically significant to show that there was there was problems there. Um but yeah, she was she was acquitted of a >> was she was convicted of financial fraud.
21:18>> She was, yeah. So, she was convicted of defrauding three investors um and then colluding with her partner at the time to do so, so conspiracy. >> And the conspiracy conviction is what gave the judge the authority to give her a bigger sentence. >> Yeah, that was insane. >> Coupled with the fact that they brought in Rupert Murdoch as a victim after the case.
21:41>> That's right, yes. >> them to also add additional time to the to the sentencing guidelines. >> Yes, so context, Elizabeth was sentenced to 135 months in prison. Uh that's 11 and a quarter years. And she was the way in which sentencing works is there's all these aggravating factors. So, they they calculate this through a point system and the points are dependent upon a variety of things.
22:02So, was there, you know, any aggravation in what you did? Was uh what was the amount of financial loss? And Elizabeth was convicted of these three counts of um of defrauding those three investors, which again, like I and she deeply believe in her innocence associated with those and I implore you to look at Do you want to tell me why?
22:25What I will say, which my lawyers would probably kill me, but what I will say is >> here. >> They're watching on YouTube. Um in the next 2 weeks I ask you to read something that we are going to put out. And I'm not telling you what to think, but I'm asking you to spend the time to look at it and to think honestly about what it means.
22:50And I think it's going to be pretty shocking because we have spent years trying to understand what the hell has gone on here. Um and it will be pretty shocking >> I mean, to understand what the hell has gone on here, one can get a story that's to a lot of people very clear cut, the book Bad Blood. And the articles.
23:06And the awards that were given for the investigations and the reporting on the that came out of these articles. And there's a lot of anecdotes and stories and so on that have painted a very clear picture for the majority, for everyone I would say, on this person is guilty of fraud. This person should be convicted of fraud.
23:27Tell me about the side of the story that she wanted to tell and the the contact why she didn't tell it. >> But I can tell you why she didn't tell it. >> Why didn't she tell it? Like cuz if there's such a different story and you guys were so convinced yourselves, you and she and it was 100% we're not going to be indicted, we're 100% going to win the case, why was that never released?

Silence, Gag Order, and Upbringing

23:45And you know, you've mentioned this gag order, but maybe just help us understand that. >> Yeah, so I want to be really specific because I know like a million people are going to, you know, pick this apart and clip it and do ever do whatever they'd like with this interview. Um but technically it was not a gag order.
24:01Technically what the judge said to the trial team, you know, in pre-trial hearings like in the very beginning is that this is a case that's going to play out in the courtroom and not in the press. And I think that was the single biggest mistake that Elizabeth has ever made, to be like really clear. I mean, maybe Sunny's number one, but it's it's up there.
24:20Um because her power was in her voice. Her power was in her telling that story and she did not because she followed the rules of not going against what the judge had judge had asked her to do. And that case just ended, you know, a handful of months ago. It's been a long time in which she was silenced.
24:41>> She felt like she didn't want to risk going through the court process and winning there by speaking out of court and getting in trouble. >> Yeah, and she's a really idealistic person. You know, she her She grew up in a house uh with a mom and and a dad who both worked for the government. Um her mom worked with Charlie Wilson and her dad worked with the EPA and USAID doing water projects around the world.
25:12And the conversations around the dinner table that we still have because her parents are helping me with my kids and they're in my house like all the time. I've spent more time with Elizabeth's parents over the course of last few years. They lived with us throughout the entirety of trial. Like they're amazing people.
25:27Um but they're also very idealistic. So the conversations around the dinner table were always around service. It was what pain and suffering did you alleviate in the world today? So that was always the thing that she was so focused on because that was her upbringing. I think if you look at somebody's parents and and their lived experience at a young age, it tells you a lot about who they are.
25:49>> I have to ask because and I tried earlier but I I'm going to get in trouble if if I don't ask that I'm in trouble but people will harp on it. Why did she wear the black turtleneck and speak in a dark in a deep voice? >> Why did she wear the black turtleneck? >> And speak in the and speak in the deep voice.
26:02I've met her. She doesn't I mean >> I mean she's got a deep voice but um why did she wear the black turtleneck? >> tell tell me about tell me about the experience you heard from her about being a young CEO and like you know, is that where this is coming from where she was always telling her story and she felt like she had to play a role in storytelling.
26:21I'm not trying to put words in your mouth but I'm just trying to understand the context. >> Yeah, I mean it's a really heavy subject and I'll touch on it briefly but again this is like her story to tell. Um I think this is probably her calling. Sorry. >> Oh, it is. >> But I'm like you know. >> Put her on speaker?

Prison Calls and Family Life

26:36>> I I think the BOP would have something to say about that. I Do you guys mind if I just say hi for one second? I can't call her back because she's in federal prison. >> Are you allowed to put her on speaker? >> No, like really she'll get sent to the shoe. That's the solitary housing unit. It's not a nice place to be.
26:58>> To accept this call >> This is what I hear every time she calls me. >> this call and all future >> I swear to God this was not planned. >> No. Hey baby. And then hang up. I'm on stage right now in front of a bunch of people. >> Can I say hi? >> Yeah. Dave Can Dave say hi? You're not on speaker phone or anything.
27:20Don't worry. Yeah, but I I love you with my whole heart. Here's Dave. Sorry guys. Thank you. >> to get you in trouble. >> So the context is we've got 500 people here. >> Okay. There's thousands of people here. We're just talking to Billy. Okay. We'll talk soon. Bye. That's actually her. >> you. >> That was crazy.
27:44>> I miss you. We'll talk soon, okay, baby. Okay, bye. >> What's it been like um
27:54since she's gone in for the kids, for you? What's it like? >> [sighs] >> I mean, first of all, I I am not unique in going through the process of having your your partner in prison. Um at Liz's facility, it's called the Bryan Federal Prison Camp. It's a camp which everybody says is like super easy. Let me tell you it is not.
28:12Uh It's in College Station, which is where Texas A&M is. And there's an 800 women there. Um and Elizabeth has been there for 1,205 days. And every single day has been incredibly painful. Um but I recognize that I'm not unique in that. You know, there's 130 million Americans who have a family member that will be incarcerated.
28:45And you look at their incarceration rates, they're insane. Um, but it's really hard to do this alone. And I have like a new found really deep respect for the moms out there that do this by themselves and who are working and raising a family. And it's just it's impossible to have your best friend in the world and the person Look, I knew I wanted to marry Liz or like have her be my soulmate.
29:10Um when I really genuinely knew that I wanted my kids to be more like her than they were like me. And it's hard knowing that they're spending a lot more time with me than than they are her. >> What do you tell them? Why is she there and why do we go to prison every Saturday? >> Yeah, well it's kind of a mix because one's five and the other one's three and the two of them have different comprehension of the situation.
29:35So, my son knows where she is. Um >> [clears throat] >> but to start it was just this is mommy's work. He was 22 months old when she went to prison. Like how do you describe that to a two-year-old? Um and our rule is really simple. When they ask questions, we tell them the truth regardless of how complicated or um or uncomfortable that conversation is.
29:59We want them to understand what's really happening, but it's hard. It's really hard. And it's hard because I'm building a business and I'm trying to free my wife from federal prison and I'm raising two kids. >> moment like when she went in and said goodbye to the kids for for you guys for the kids? >> So, my kids weren't there.
30:19Um we thought it would be too emotional for them. So, I flew out. We had a friend very kindly pay for a plane to fly us out to to Austin and then we stayed the night out there. We did some filming with Nathan and Lance. Um and then we were told all these things about prison that just turned out to be like totally wrong.
30:41Like we were told that she was allowed to bring like New Balances that's like not allowed. And you pay these prison consultants who supposedly are supposed to know the system and you're just like woefully unprepared. Um But what was it like? It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Um We drove her to the prison.
31:06Uh I got out of the car. There's a three parking spots right in front of the facility where she got out wearing these new ridiculous New Balances and this like little sweater that was a gift from a friend. And I just hugged her and I said I love you more than everything. And uh she looked at me and she said, "Now we are free."
31:35>> Tell me about the documentary. How did it come about? >> Yeah, pretty crazy, huh? Uh have you guys seen this thing? >> Everyone's seen the trailer. >> Okay, yeah. Um Why did we do it? >> Yeah, how did it come about? >> Yeah. >> Do it and what is it? >> Well, I'm going to you you will see. You will see what it is.

The Documentary and Release Timeline

31:58Um for context, I also have not yet seen it. So I can't pretend to know more than than I do. >> What was the context going into this? >> Yeah, the context is that Elizabeth is facing an 11-year sentence. She's been prevented from speaking publicly in it in any way, shape, or form and this would come out after that period in which she's now allowed to talk.
32:20So uh there's been a lot of media produced on her. There's been a lot of people who have told her story and that narrative is pretty ossified. So the whole idea was here she is. See her and make up your own mind as a person. Yeah, it's not to relitigate the case. >> talk about the case in the documentary.
32:43>> practically at this time she wasn't allowed to talk about the case, so she again was going to follow the rules and not talk about the case. >> a personal life. It's a reality context of your lives. >> Yeah, one of the most stressful times imaginable. You know, we Liz had given birth in February to our daughter Ivy um shortly there after she had gone through IVF.
33:07And then she was going to report to prison like 2 months later. >> So, you guys chose to do this to give an opportunity to tell the story of who she is differently. >> You know it was to have people see who she is because I've gone through this really consistent experience with the people who love me most.
33:30Everybody from my grandmother who's like my idol to my best friends who are backstage right now. Where they'd hear [snorts] that I knew this person to start or that I was falling for this person or now we're going to have a kid. And in the beginning every single one of these people are like, "Billy, you are crazy.
33:48What are you doing? Do you know who she is?" And I'd tell them, "I understand why you feel that way. But just meet her." And those people would meet her and they'd spend time with her and they'd see her in a totally natural environment of uh going on a hike or uh helping a friend. And every single one of those people's opinions of her would radically shift.
34:15And it wasn't because she convinced them of like something related to Theranos or some like specific detail. I I I think if you guys have the opportunity to meet her, to see this film or to spend time with her um that was the intention of the film is to help scale that up and allow other people to sit with her and to make up their own minds.
34:34>> How do you think it went? So you sit down with >> Well, I haven't seen it yet. I mean, I might think this is like the dumbest thing I've ever done. >> This guy's a pretty unique guy to choose to do this show with. This >> Yeah, absolutely. >> and it's been 3 years. So why is it taking so long? >> It was supposed to wrap.
34:46Like so it was supposed to come out within a year of the time in which they first started shooting. >> Right. So it's been 3 years. >> Yeah, it's a long time, man. >> heard any updates about why it's taking so long and like are you worried about >> now. >> Are you worried about it? >> About what part?
35:01>> The whole show. Like are you worried that they've edited in a way that doesn't showcase who she is, but maybe >> Look, we signed >> You look at the trailer. >> Yeah, she looks insane. >> She looks insane and it's like it's just reinforcing the narrative on this is a manipulative narcissist, whatever this the narrative is.
35:17And it feels like whoa, this is going to be crazy. She's like bad. >> Yeah, it's pretty intense. Well, especially the music. It's like >> Yeah. I think the music makes it, by the way. >> Yeah, well, there we go. Um Am I nervous? >> [sighs] >> You know, I've been through so many intense like kind of surreal experiences that it takes quite a bit to to raise my blood pressure.
35:40And and this one is there's certainly concern, but you know, ultimately it's our decision. >> What's the status with Elizabeth in prison? How much longer does she have? How much longer till you guys can be together and so on? >> Yeah, um
35:59It's a really confusing process understanding what they call the calculator. So like prison numbers 101. So you've got your sentence, which is how long you're supposed to be in under the the watchful eyes of the Bureau of Prisons altogether. And then you have the amount of time that you actually spend in the facility itself.
36:14So like in the four walls of that prison. And then you've got some time that you can spend at a halfway house and then you have some time that you can spend at home confinement. Uh President Trump in his first administration passed something called the First Step Act, which has really been like one of the most um um incredible uh pieces of legislation that helps bring my wife home sooner.
36:34So, she can earn 16 days off of her sentence for every 30 days that she's there if she's doing programming. So, this is doing things that are proven to reduce recidivism, which is your likelihood of going back to prison. Um so, the short answer is that as of now, the expectation is that she could be at a halfway house in um second quarter of next year.
36:56>> You know, one of the most um remarkable things for me was when I went to visit in prison. >> Yeah. >> Uh that when you send money for commissary to her >> Yeah, 70% of it gets taken away. >> she 70% gets taken away because how much does she owe to the victims of the financial fraud? >> Yeah, $435 million.

Restitution, Commissary, and Prison Conditions

37:16>> So, when you >> And of that, which is important to note, um less than I think it's less than 100 100 million. I mean, she would like to know the exact math, but that that number is made up of 10 investors. And from my perspective, what it looks like is uh the people who did the sentencing, they basically said, "Who are the 10 biggest investors?
37:37And let's all add them on because then that increases the sentence length." >> So, originally her sentence without these additional investors that she was never convicted of, that she was never proven guilty of having done anything to them, but they're arbitrarily added on. >> conspiracy charge, they were able to bring them in.
37:52>> That's my understanding of it, yeah. So, that raised her sentence from something like 4 and 1/2 or 5 years to 11. >> Right. >> Um and because there's two things that it did. So, one of which is it increased the loss amount, and then the second thing is it was now fraud of 10 or more victims. But, you know, one really interesting thing to note is that recently we got a 1-year sentence reduction for Elizabeth because they changed the sentencing guidelines.
38:14And at that time, even the government argued that there was no evidence that any of the investors who lost money faced any financial hardship from this. >> Yeah. >> are people like uh the DeVos family and the Waltons and >> Yeah. Yeah. >> the Niarchos and you know, these are like >> can't like buy food and stuff at the commissary.
38:33It seems like it's a or I mean, it's difficult to So we we spent the whole afternoon together buying trail mix at the vending machine. >> Yeah, she's like a squirrel. She eats like >> I I I spent all the money I had on vending machine trail mix. I mean, it was just really so remarkable. I've never been to prison before.
38:48But when you see um prisoners, it's easy to dismiss criminals, but you go through this that you always have to feel something for people that are being punished for their crimes. >> Well, the saddest thing to me is there's 800 women in the facility and on a given weekend, maybe 30 of them will get a visitor.
39:04Um and it's just crushing. You know, you see these little kids just crying, saying goodbye to their mom and you know, screaming at the door. >> just real quick as we wrap. People in the press have been reporting that you're running Theranos 2.0. What is the business you're building today and why is it not Theranos 2.0?
39:21>> Yeah, I mean, I >> How did you get Is it Is it an Elizabeth thing that you're kind of doing this for or with or How did How did this kind of come to be for you? >> Yeah, so my background's in the photonics space. I helped build a company called Luminar. We built lidar for autonomous vehicles using lasers.
39:32So um I've got background in photonics. I did that for for a handful of years and I found Elizabeth's mission mission incredibly compelling as I hope you all do. The idea that diagnostics are broken today, they're way too expensive and we want to make it more accessible and cheaper. Um and in the wake of Theranos failing, very few people have tried to do something incredibly ambitious in that space.
39:57So, my company is called Hemanthes. Uh we are building a new layer of sensors to better understand biology. So, we use a technique called Raman spectroscopy in which we shine light through biological samples. It creates a scattering effect where the light changes color and then you you interpret uh what chemical structures are within that sample.
40:16This is a really well-known technique. People do it in research labs around the country. The problem is these devices are millions of dollars, many feet long, super complicated to use. So, I'm taking a lot of the learnings from my work in the photonics space to to make these cheaper and widely distributed so we can give artificial intelligence uh really rich and deep data sets for biology.

Hemanthes and Closing Remarks

40:40Today, most things are built for human doctors to understand and we're trying to create really deep data sets that that artificial intelligence can use to create correlations between all these disparate signals. >> Yep. >> chemical detection that can be used broadly in a bunch of different techniques.
40:55>> Yeah. >> And so, the Theranos 2.0 story may be a bit of a press >> Yeah, I mean, look, what sells more? Like, Billy builds technology >> Raman spectroscopy devices? >> Yeah, it it doesn't exactly drive clicks. So, it's a lot easier to make it seem like Elizabeth Holmes is El Chapo running, you know, a diagnostics cartel from prison than it is to say Billy's building a nerdy company.
41:17>> Well, look, I appreciate you being with us today, Billy. I know um we've talked a lot over the last year and a half uh to start to share your story. I think there's a lot more of your story and Elizabeth's story still to come. Is there anything else you want to say before we wrap up?
41:35>> Gosh, you know, there's so many things that I want to say, but I just want to say thank you guys for listening. I really appreciate it. >> Thanks for being here. >> Thank you, bro. >> [music] >> Appreciate it.

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