But What About Ian Gibbons?

It has been reported that Elizabeth Holmes, the now-disgraced CEO of Theranos, is surrounded by powerful Silicon Valley friends. It was also reported that one of those friends provided her with luxurious housing near the courthouse during the trial.

Neither of those stories surprised me. People living under the same ethical delusions tend to stick together. “Gray-area ethics” is their belief system and their bedrock of decision making. They cannot get their heads around the fact that the Silicon Valley “fake it ‘til you make it” mentality can be – at best – a manipulation and violation of trust. To their minds, Theranos hurt no one and that the CEO was well-meaning and was on the brink of a major scientific breakthrough. Perhaps they would like to explain Ian Gibbons.

Ian Gibbons

Chances are, the life of Ian Gibbons, will not even make it to the endnote page of the Theranos saga. He was the chief scientist of Theranos and a biochemist. He held numerous patents in the field. The man committed suicide in 2013, having worked at Theranos for eight years.

According to a report from CBS News (January 12, 2022) based on an interview with Gibbons’ wife:

“He started talking to me about all these investments, all the money that the company is bringing in. And he told me that he couldn’t imagine why people were giving the company any money because there was no invention, there was nothing there.”

Allegedly, he became increasingly despondent over his possible role in the subterfuge. He started sharing his concerns with a friend connected to the company, and was fired but then rehired and demoted. According to the news report:

“Fearing he would be fired if he told the truth about the company’s technology in an upcoming court deposition, she [his wife] said he took an overdose of acetaminophen and died 8 days later, at age 67.”

When Holmes was made aware that her former chief scientist had committed suicide, Holmes allegedly did not react. However, a message sent from the company back to Gibbons’ wife was that the company demanded he return any Theranos property in his possession.

A Peek Behind the Curtain

Ian Gibbons had many choices, of course. He certainly could have left the organization, he could have quit after his demotion, he could have stopped his drinking and sought professional help for his depression. On the other hand, his suicide could be a powerful indicator that the organization was a scam and that its founder cared about nothing but position and power.

I am also aware that when the sentencing phase will be set before the judge, even the four outstanding counts of wire fraud may be further reduced to a single count, and that the maximum sentence of 20 years may turn into 10 years or a month or probation and house arrest.

I agree that it is ethically frustrating and perhaps that frustration and powerless vulnerability is what drove Ian Gibbons to suicide. He was working for a shill and getting paid for it, and in his mind, nearing 68-years-old, realized his chances of gaining any other employment were nil.

We cannot get inside the head of Ian Gibbons but surprisingly, we now have a much clearer vision of Elizabeth Holmes and an entourage of her fellow Silicon Valley travelers for whom choices and consequences don’t exist.

Holmes did not win her case; the jury was deadlocked. It is an important distinction we must make. The federal government has the right to retry the case, and I am sure Holmes is being advised to slowly back away from stirring the hornet’s nest.

In the end, she will be remembered as a 19-year-old college dropout who boldly convinced naïve investors that she and her technology were on the level. Perhaps she will go on the talk-show circuit and write her own books, or it could be, she will spend many years scrubbing prison toilets. Ian Gibbons, however, will not come back or be remembered.

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