Holmes vs Musk: Why Broken Promises Aren't Fraud When Paired With Real Results
JOBhakdi · x · 2026-09-19
- Quoted tweet poses a thought experiment: had Elizabeth Holmes gotten eight to ten more years with continued investor patience, and Theranos eventually delivered on most promises (like Tesla's FSD), would history remember her as a fraudster or simply "early"?
- The author pushes back: Musk differs fundamentally — while over-promising on FSD, he had already sent rockets to orbit, built the Model S, and founded X/PayPal, risking his own money and nearly going broke in 2008 before SpaceX's orbital success.
- Also distinguishes fraud spectrum: Madoff never believed his mission, while Holmes and SBF arguably did; angel investing inherently means betting on such founders.
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