"Bad Blood" is based on the 2020 book "Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup" by John Carreyrou. The book centres around healthcare-tech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes, who quickly became one of the richest self-made billionaires in the country.
In 2014, Holmes was hailed as one of the most successful women in the world following the development and launch of her company, Theranos, which was then valued at $9 billion, according to Forbes. Theranos claimed they would revolutionise healthcare by using rapid-blood-testing technology to help diagnose a variety of health-related issues, including HIV.
However, by 2015, journalists at The Wall Street Journal exposed evidence of technological shortcomings and inaccuracies within Theranos, as well as fraudulent activity from Holmes. In short: Theranos's technology simply didn't work. The exposure led to the demise of both Holmes and the company.