Channing Robertson
Channing Robertson | |
---|---|
Channing Rex Robertson | |
Born | 1943 or 1944 (age 79–80)[1] |
Nationality | American |
Education | Herbert Hoover High School |
Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley Stanford University |
Years active | 1961-present |
Board member of | Theranos |
Spouse | Donna Reineke Robertson |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Chemical engineering |
Institutions | Stanford University Theranos |
Academic advisors | Andreas Acrivos |
Doctoral students | Seth Darst |
Other notable students | Elizabeth Holmes |
Website | engineering |
Channing Rex Robertson is a professor
Early life and education
Robertson spent the early part of his life in Los Angeles, California.
Academic career
Robertson joined the Stanford faculty in 1970.[7] He served as the Ruth G. and William K. Bowes Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty & Academic Affairs in the School of Engineering.[5] He was an advisor to doctoral student Seth Darst.[8] Robertson testified in 1998 as a witness for the state about the cigarette brand Marlboro related to a lawsuit against tobacco company Philip Morris USA.[9] In 2000, he was featured in a special issue of Upside, entitled "100 People Who Have Changed the World".[5] He was a founding fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.[5] After the collapse of Theranos, Robertson returned to Stanford as professor emeritus, teaching the course "Busting Energy Myths".[7][10]
Theranos
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Elizabeth_Holmes_at_a_Nuclear_nonproliferation_discussion_in_2013_-_130417-D-NI589-107_%28cropped_2%29.jpg/220px-Elizabeth_Holmes_at_a_Nuclear_nonproliferation_discussion_in_2013_-_130417-D-NI589-107_%28cropped_2%29.jpg)
Robertson taught Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes when she was a student at Stanford.[11][12] He became acquainted with her after granting her request to work in a research laboratory at Stanford amidst Ph. D graduate students.[13] Robertson was initially swayed by his student's ideas on what she felt her fledgling technology could accomplish.[14][15] After Holmes dropped out, Robertson helped her start Theranos in 2003.[16] He went on to become the company's first board member.[17][18][19] Robertson gave up his academic tenure teaching position in order to work at Theranos.[20] Along with Robertson, his associate from his lab Shaunak Roy also joined Holmes at Theranos and became its co-founder.[16][21][22] Shaunak and Holmes had previously worked together in Robertson's lab at Stanford.[23] Robertson brought venture capitalists to meet with Holmes about her early business venture.[24][25] He convinced Ian Gibbons to work for Theranos in 2005.[7][26][27] Robertson and Gibbons had previously worked together in the 1980s and co-authored a patent at Biotrack Laboratories.[28][29] Gibbons brought confidential concerns about Theranos to Robertson in confidence, including the fact that the technology was not working.[26][30] Gibbons asked Robertson to keep his private comments about Theranos between them.[26] Robertson then immediately shared Gibbons's concerns with Holmes, who fired Gibbons.[31][26]
Holmes kept a quote from Robertson featured on her desk: "You start to realize you are looking in the eyes of another Bill Gates, or Steve Jobs."[32] After receiving this assessment from Robertson, Holmes later began to dress like Jobs.[33] Robertson was included in activities related to Holmes's personal life, and was a featured guest at her 30th birthday party at the home of fellow Theranos board member and former United States Secretary of State George Shultz.[34]
According to criminal filings by prosecutors in United States v. Elizabeth A. Holmes, et al., Robertson was paid approximately US$463,000 by Theranos from March 2015 to February 2016.[35] In 2017, Theranos named him the co-leader of their technology advisory board.[36][37][38] Brian Grossman of PFM Health Sciences relied upon expertise by Robertson, prior to his firm's investment in Theranos.[39] Grossman spoke directly with Robertson, before deciding to invest $96 million in Theranos.[39][40] According to The Verge, PFM Health Sciences chief investment officer Brian Grossman testified that he met with Robertson prior to his firm investing US$96 million in Theranos.[39] Robertson assured him Theranos's technology was sound and years ahead of competitors.[39] Robertson stated to Grossman that the only risk related to the company was with customer experiences.[39] After speaking with Robertson, Grossman felt confident in his firm's investment in Theranos.[39] Grossman testified under oath as to his conversation with Robertson about Theranos, in the U.S. government's criminal trial against Holmes.[41] Robertson kept what was happening at Theranos secret, and did not tell his wife what was happening at the company.[42]
Following a report by Wall Street Journal investigative journalist John Carreyrou on questionable medical practices at Theranos, Robertson defended the company in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek.[43][44] Robertson told Bloomberg Businessweek, "We would have to be certifiable", to go live with actual medical patients with a product that impacted individuals' health, with foreknowledge the tests were not dependable.[43][44] In the same interview, Robertson classed Holmes among geniuses including Leonardo da Vinci, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Albert Einstein, and Isaac Newton.[43][44]
As late as May 2018, Robertson believed the company was successful in developing novel
In media
The Wall Street Journal investigative journalist John Carreyrou delved into the manner in which Elizabeth Holmes courted Robertson to involve himself in her company Theranos; he recounted this in-depth in his 2018 book, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup.[48][49][50] This relationship was investigated further in the 2019 Alex Gibney documentary, The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley.[51][52][53] Rebecca Jarvis delved into the early background between Robertson and Holmes, in her 2019 podcast about Theranos, The Dropout.[54][55][56] In the 2022 American biographical television drama miniseries The Dropout, based on the Jarvis podcast of the same name, Robertson was portrayed by actor Bill Irwin.[57][25]
See also
- Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
- The Dropout
- Ian Gibbons (biochemist)
- The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley
References
Notes
- ^ Carreyrou 2018, p. 13.
- ^ a b DiPaolo, Andy (2016), "Robertson, Channing R. (2016). Oral History.", Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program Interviews, Stanford University, retrieved May 6, 2024
- ^ a b Thomson, Jan (2023), Donna Robertson : An Oral History, Stanford Historical Society; Stanford University, retrieved May 6, 2024
- ^ a b "Donna Reineke (Robertson) '60, Channing Robertson '61", Hoover Reunion Picture Slide Show, 2004, retrieved May 6, 2024
- ^ a b c d e "Channing Robertson, PhD". WHO. Archived from the original on December 19, 2004. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ "Andreas Acrivos CV". The Hellenic Society of Rheology. Archived from the original on 2020-10-29. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ a b c d e Handore, Pratik (March 7, 2022), "Where is Theranos' Channing Robertson Now?", TheCinemaholic, retrieved May 6, 2024
- ISBN 978-0691148878
- ^ Karnowski, Steve (February 9, 1998), "Ammonia Revealed As 'Marlboro Secret' Experts Testify Chemical Kept Nicotine At Addictive Level", The Spokesman-Review, Associated Press, retrieved May 7, 2024
- ^ "Channing R. Robertson". Stanford School of Engineering. 2016-05-10. Archived from the original on 2019-05-05. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ Wermus, Katie (November 19, 2021), "Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes Surprisingly Takes Stand at Her Criminal Trial", Newsweek, Associated Press, retrieved May 5, 2024
- Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Associated Press, retrieved May 5, 2024
- PMID 36040562
- ^ Griffith, Erin (November 23, 2021), "Elizabeth Holmes points fingers at others and says she was a believer", The Seattle Times, The New York Times, retrieved May 5, 2024
- ^ Randazzo, Sara (November 19, 2021), "Holmes Testimony Starts at the Very Beginning of Theranos", The Wall Street Journal, retrieved May 5, 2024
- ^ ISBN 978-1632996411
- ^ Lynn, Hannah (March 22, 2022), "The True Story Behind The Dropout and the Elizabeth Holmes Theranos Scandal", Time, retrieved May 5, 2024
- ^ Firth, Simon (2012-02-28). "The not-so-retiring retirement of Channing Robertson". Stanford School of Engineering. California 94305. Archived from the original on 2019-05-05. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ Foley, Matt (2018-06-14). "Will Disgraced CEO Elizabeth Holmes Woo Another Batch of Silicon Valley Investors?". OZY. Archived from the original on 2019-05-05. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ Gibney, Alex (2019), "Holmes' Education (04:54)", The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, HBO Documentary Films
- ^ Hill, Andrew (November 14, 2018), "The Theranos tale exposes the dangers lurking in Silicon Valley", Financial Times, retrieved May 6, 2024
- ^ Hu, Charlotte; Ramsey, Lydia (May 25, 2018), "The rise and fall of Theranos, the blood-testing startup that went from a rising star in Silicon Valley to facing fraud charges over a wild 15-year span", Business Insider, archived from the original on May 25, 2018, retrieved May 6, 2024
- ^ Carreyrou 2018, p. 5.
- ^ Dunn, Taylor; Thompson, Victoria; Jarvis, Rebecca (March 12, 2019), "Ex-Theranos employees describe culture of secrecy at Elizabeth Holmes' startup: 'The Dropout' podcast ep. 1 - Ex-Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud charges.", ABC News, retrieved May 6, 2024
- ^ Harpers Bazaar Australia, retrieved May 5, 2024
- ^ from the original on 2019-05-05. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ISBN 978-1484233924
- ^ Carreyrou 2018, p. 141.
- ^ Tisdale, Jennifer (March 3, 2022), "The Tragic Story of Ian Gibbons, the Scientist Tasked With Making the Theranos Technology Work", Distractify, retrieved May 6, 2024
- ^ Orlowski, Andrew (7 January 2022), "How Elizabeth Holmes fleeced the elites - Big investors were all too willing to believe the Theranos hype.", Spiked, retrieved 26 April 2024
- ^ Carreyrou 2018, p. 143.
- ^ Carreyrou 2018, p. 21.
- ^ Carreyrou 2018, p. 31.
- ^ Carreyrou 2018, p. 191.
- ^ Randazzo, Sara (September 8, 2021), "How Theranos Spent $28.6 Million on Vendors in 11 Months", The Wall Street Journal, retrieved May 5, 2024
- ^ Mitchell, Molli (March 2, 2022), "Meet 'The Dropout' Cast and the Real-Life Characters Behind the Hulu Show", Newsweek, retrieved May 6, 2024
- ^ Ramsey, Lydia; By, Provided (2017-01-17). "Theranos just made another major leadership change". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2019-05-05. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ Somerville, Heather (November 30, 2021), "In Testimony, Elizabeth Holmes Tries to Distance Herself from Lab Troubles", The Wall Street Journal, retrieved May 6, 2024
- ^ a b c d e f Lopatto, Elizabeth (November 16, 2021), "Theranos drained $96 million from an experienced investor — plus some blood", The Verge, retrieved May 5, 2024
- ^ De Chant, Tim (November 17, 2021), "Holmes jury learns how Theranos duped a savvy health care investor", Ars Technica, retrieved May 6, 2024
- ^ Renda, Matthew (November 16, 2021), "Investor tells jury that Holmes bragged about device capability", Courthouse News Service, retrieved May 5, 2024
- ^ Palus, Shannon (July 8, 2016), "Theranos' Downfall Isn't Just Elizabeth Holmes' Fault", Slate, retrieved May 5, 2024
- ^ a b c Carreyrou 2018, p. 280.
- ^ a b c Kolhatkar, Sheelah; Chen, Caroline (December 10, 2015), "Can Elizabeth Holmes Save Her Unicorn? - Theranos wants to convince the world it's for real.", Bloomberg Businessweek, retrieved May 8, 2024
- ^ a b c d "When Theranos' remarkable blood-test claims began to unravel". ABC News. 2019-03-14. Archived from the original on 2021-10-13. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ Kirkland, Justin (September 9, 2022), "The Dropout is Full of Duped Investors. All of Them Are Real.", Esquire, retrieved May 5, 2024
- ^ Carreyrou 2018, p. 208.
- PMC 6762173
- ^ Sumagaysay, Levi (May 25, 2018), "'Bad Blood': The unraveling of Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes", The Mercury News, retrieved May 7, 2024
- The Harvard Gazette, retrieved May 7, 2024
- ^ Machkovech, Sam (March 15, 2019), "HBO's Elizabeth Holmes documentary tells a bloody good story of a bad con job", Ars Technica, retrieved May 7, 2024
- ^ Hough, Quinn (March 19, 2019), "The Inventor: Biggest Reveals from HBO's Theranos Documentary", Screen Rant, retrieved May 7, 2024
- National Public Radio, retrieved May 7, 2024
- ^ McDonell-Parry, Amelia (January 23, 2019), "'The Dropout': New Podcast Dives into Elizabeth Holmes' Alleged Theranos Fraud", Rolling Stone, retrieved May 7, 2024
- Tech Crunch, retrieved May 7, 2024
- ^ Dunn, Taylor; Thompson, Victoria; Jarvis, Rebecca (March 12, 2019), "Ex-Theranos employees describe culture of secrecy at Elizabeth Holmes' startup: 'The Dropout' podcast ep. 1", Good Morning America, retrieved May 7, 2024
- ^ Romano, Evan (April 6, 2022), "See The Dropout Cast Compared to Their Real-Life Counterparts", Men's Health, retrieved May 6, 2024
Works cited
- OCLC 1029779381
External links
- Faculty page
- Channing Robertson at IMDb