In His Own Words: The Theranos Whistleblower 

He cared about the people getting inaccurate medical diagnosis, yet the courts only cared about defrauding investors. God bless him for speaking out and caring about the people.

She thought hiring George Schultz’s grandson would boost her, but it ultimately contributed to her downfall. Love it.

The most important lesson any parent can teach their children is the definition of integrity: always do the right thing, even when no one is watching.

Many experienced Theranos scientists could see what was happening but took home large monthly pay checks and kept quiet. It took a young man with morals and courage to take on the fight, Well done that man.

he's young, he's cute, he went to Stanford, he takes down corrupt corporations from the inside...he's the total package

with reference to the legal fees he ran up, it is scary, that as a whistle blower, you have to consider whether you can afford to tell the truth

As a retired senior executive my view on a young whistleblower who was very accurate would be a very marketable individual. Companies need employees to speak up. No one person has all the skills and abilities to make the right decisions. A good organisation is made up of differing views and skill sets. Well done to this bright young man. May he enjoy a long and prosperous career.

There's no reason for him to be puzzled by his job offers: Having a known whistle-blower on your staff is advertising a claim of "We're clean; we're not afraid..."

I read that his parents had to spend about USD 500k on legal fees, and they were about to sell their home to protect their son. I hope that he's paid for talks like this because he deserves it.

That must have really hurt when his grandfather didn't believe him. Poor guy

The saddest part of this-- His own family took her word over his b/c she was the CEO & was allowed at their own family functions cause grandpa was getting a fat check from her. His own grandfather set him up--please everybody take that in for a second. You are an amazing man & I am so sorry your family didn't believe you were telling the truth.

if the cost to be ethical and honest in our society is $500k, and we're all saddled with student debt and mortgages, then how can we afford to be an ethical and truthful society?

Tyler is a class act ( under stress). My greater admiration goes to the other whistle blower- Erika Cheung, who had less resources and connections. I can't imagine the stress I'd be under having a renown legal bulldog growling at my heels. I'm hoping both will have great lives!

This kid is proof that you can still be born rich and turn out good. What makes that happen? Good parenting. The story about the Japanese kindergartner speaks volumes of the parents he had. A good mother & father goes a LONG way.

I have so much respect for this guy. I was a whistleblower at a company and for months/years you’re scared and lonely. It was one of the worst times in my life. You have to be a very strong person to endure it.

The sad thing is his very prominent grandfather, former Secretary of State George Schultz put his own financial interest in Theranos ahead of his young grandson. Instead of acting on the information, Tyler shared with him, George blew it off. As a grandfather myself, I can't imagine putting money ahead of family. But here we are.

I'm glad that he gave credit to the other whistleblower as well

This guy is a true gem of a human-being. Any company that has someone like this in their ranks is blessed.

"I was always thinking about money as a resource, i didn't have an emotional attachment to money", spoken like someone who's never had to worry about money, but I'm not hating - he did the right thing and i hope she does proper time.

So this young Honest man, an intern who decided to change his major from Engineering to Biology in his Junior/senior year at Stanford, knew within just a few months that this whole thing was a scam! While his Grandpa sat on the Board and was knocking down (no doubt) some serious money! LOL I for one, appreciate hi integrity and I wish him many years of success in whatever field he choses. The fact his Grandpa was willing to throw him to the wolves and completely comrpimose his own Grand-son is despicable to me. It shows just how willfully complicit Grandpa was.

Tyler Shultz: You have more class and integrity than most and are the best product of all your family! Hold your head high man!

EVery single person on that board needs to be held accountable.

4:17 Tyler Shultz starts talking 6:42 meeting with Elizabeth Holmes 11:13 meeting with grandfather, George Shultz (former US Secretary Of State) 15:12 trade secrets 15:55 more about grandfather and family 17:12 tiled world vs carpeted world

This dude. The way he knew gaslighting when you hear it. What he did was admirable.

What a horribly confusing situation to find yourself in as an early-20's scientist! Big props to Tyler for sticking with what he knew was right.

The key here is that Ms Holmes managed to dupe enough rich, powerful people who could not afford to look stupid.

What a mature, inspirational dude. I was impressed by his self awareness when acknowledging how much privilege played a role in what he was able to do.

This young man is an F'ing hero. He followed his moral compass. He refused to be intimidated by people who would intimate most. He stood his ground under immense pressure. He stood for what is right. I wish there were a lot more people and stories like this today. I would hire him in a heartbeat. I feel like he will do well in his life and career just based off of his character. And a degree from Stanford proves he is no idiot either. I feel so jaded about society and politics, but people like him give me hope for our country.

What a great man Tyler Shultz is. He fought bravely for the search of truth, even going against his family's will, to expose the criminal that Elizabeth Holmes is.

Mad props to Tyler for having the moral conviction to do what he did. However, when he says he isn’t sure why he didn’t have trouble after whistleblowing, he should acknowledge that he was lucky that his family was extremely wealthy and that he has a very famous grandfather. Not everyone has the luxury of spending $500k in legal defense fees and carrying the positive reputation of his last name. It sucks but there are two legal systems in this country, one for the rich and one for everyone else.

Tyler Shultz, you are definitely a man of character. You had adversity come at you from all directions, even pressure from your own family, grandfather, and you stayed steadfast to your convictions. That is amazing especially at your age. Your grandfather should have believed you when you had that meeting with him and those 2 lawyers. Thank you for being and staying honest, Tyler. You may have saved people's lives.

For all the things he had to go through, the saddest was the betrayal by his grandfather. 😢

Thank you Tyler for stepping up. You literally saved hundreds if not thousands of lives. The government should be cutting a check to you for the savings in court settlement costs alone. And you saved your grandfather and all of the other investors from the embarrassment that would have been caused because of the failure to put someone on the board that had any medical knowledge.

Had no idea that someone so young was the whistle blower was so young. What an awesome human being.

I studied for a Master's Degree in Ethics. It is a subject that imo should form part of the school curriculum from a very young age. It teaches logic, critical thinking, instills a sense of what is right and wrong and how to discern the difference. We're living in a confused world because the ability to think for oneself is missing in most individuals.

He’s taken on a raging sociopath and lived to tell the tale. Sadly the $400-$500k price tag to being a whistle blower makes it prohibitive for others to consider doing the same, sad.

I don’t find it surprising that he got job offers, he showed integrity which is not so common these days.

Its good to see that there are still humans with morals in this world.

I’m impressed and grateful that he had more courage to “make waves” than his parents, and that they ended up supporting him. It’s even more amazing given his grandfather’s disbelief and Tyler’s young age.

He touched on the real issue at the end: the VC/investor community. They push for “go big or bust”, and put tremendous pressure on founders to be bigger, faster.

Tyler has mad courage. I showed my 21 year old son this as inspiration.

Brave, genuine guy. We need more of these.

HIs Grandpa threw his own Grandson to the wolves in order to compromise him and his integrity. That proves to me that his Grandpa as knowingly complicit in the whole affair.

I love this interviewer. She is very reassuring, says the right things at the right moment, and lets him talk

He’s so humble, clearly he was raised by wonderful parents. I hope his legal fees were paid back by company as damages .

I’m an old woman and this young man restores my faith and allays my fears.

Unimaginable psychological pressure on him knowing all the facts! Probably his conscience started talking to him that he listened to! Media did a great work by supporting him.

If I recall, the reasons Theranos tracked him down was through a very specific number quoted by the WSJ journal. It was the exact same number that Tyler had emailed to Elizabeth herself. Incredibly commendable what this man has done to bring Theranos corruption to light but journalists should protect their sources better!

Bright young man with a good moral code. Need more like him.

I think Holmes really believed all it took to succeed as entrepreneur was to boss people around into realizing your vision. After all many people naiively think that's all Steve Jobs did.

In a company, full of senior professionals (engineers, biologists, etc) ... it had to be a junior professional to come forward and denounce what was happening inside... this speaks in itself for the quality of some of the 'professionals' we have out there and the generalized lack of ethics, work and otherwise,...

If i was rich I'd help this young bloke with the legal costs! His COURAGE, morals and ethics have won. Good on you mate....you are inspirational!

Mad respect! I also love how he reflects that he was able to do what he did b/c of his background while his colleague couldn't, even though she had the same concerns b/c she couldn't afford to get bankrupt over legal fees. It's interesting& sad how he describes the legal system.

This guy Tyler is an inspiration to me. Given what I have seen in US politics over the last few years it is refreshing to know that at least someone in the young generation values ethics in business. Thank you Tyler. You’re a real hero.

Well done Tyler for your honesty and courage to speak up about his employer wrongdoings.

Courageous whistleblowing aside, he has a great sense of humour. Seems fun to hang out with. 9:07 "Elizabeth, how great are you?" "I am really great" "Elizabeth is really great" 🤣

Her dad was a ENRON top guy. Genetic selfishness.

By standing up against his former boss, being harassed and bullied he saved many lives. We need more people like Edward Snowden and Tyler Shultz.

He's humble, truthful, educated and realistic. He's very relaxed about the truth. Perhaps this is a refreshing change to those who have been bullied and lied to on a massive level. He knows what he knows through his experience. He also had a vested interest to protect his family member. Good.

What is scary and disappointing is that there were so many people involved that knew what was going on and just went with the flow. Only 1 person out of so many had the morality and ethics to say "enough".

That family should be very proud to have a son like Tyler! GREAT KID

What a fine, smart, ethical, and well spoken young man. I hope he goes far in life. As for Holmes, I hope the judge comes down hard on her.

I was pretty disappointed with the interviewer when he idly speculated "I don't know why my experience [as a whistleblower] was [so much easier] than others in the same situation." and the interviewer responds "It's probably because of your relative.... youth." So close to the truth that it's because of his relatives.

Aaaaand as a grand finale: the woman on blood thinners. So glad this was included because at the end of the day it boils down to people whom do not have room for error; their lives are on the line. Short yet serene interview. The way this young man handles himself is very admirable. To take on essentially a whole corporation of top dogs WITH money that most certainty whispered sweet nothings to many investors AND have familial ties opposite him takes a special type of courage I honestly have never seen before. 🙂👏🙏

I have immense respect for this young man.

He has experienced the best internship ever than everybody else: TO FIGHT FRAUD!!

Once you are pegged as a person with integrity, everyone wants to align themselves with your reputation for honesty. Good work, Mr. Schulz. I'll invest in a company that you work for.

Tip my hat to Tyler for his courage. What an amazing person.

"And she would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for those meddling kids!"

The fact that he received employment offers is testament to the integrity of those companies is it not?

Tyler and Erika (other Whistleblower) are so courageous! And when it becomes time to prosecute Elizabeth and her cronies, these two witnesses (Tyler and Erika) carry the highest integrity and honesty, and present with such genuine care for others that a jury of peers will have no problem believing them. Her trial begins this year.

Have seen him interviewed a few times now and he comes across as completely honest and genuine and he’s not someone who can rest at night with his knowledge of people being abused

Talk to the janitors - they have keys and access to ALL the rooms and hear all the backroom talk! I learned this while at University - I studied such long and late hours and weekends I established great relationships with them and often reluctantly heard all the horror stories about faculty and the institution! Sad thing is most whistleblowers are of the sort Tyler mentioned with the gal who was paying off student loans and ended up moving back to Hong Kong to evade lawyers - they are the true heroes, but because they lack financial means, are snowed under!

This story is insane. We need more people like this guy.

Really excellent presentation! He made a good point about how easy it is to start picking and choosing your data. Before you know it, it becomes a habit. I worked in a company where we were developing a new diagnostic test. While trying to get the kinks out of the physical aspect of the test, we allowed for a longer testing time. I was told by my boss that this was fine since this was a preliminary investigation. After I quit, word got back to me that they were unaware of the time extension and acted as if I had been presenting false results all along. My lab notebook showed otherwise, and fortunately it had not gotten to a point where it was ever tested on patient samples. I was 21 and fresh out of college and had not learned to stand up for myself. It definitely sours your opinion of scientific research, but has also taught me to be cautious when blood test results do not seem to match the symptoms.

This man really went through hell, and it was all Elizabeth’s doing. She turned his own family against him and waged a war of David and Goliath proportions against him. Despite all that, he held fast. A hero!

I had never heard of Theranos until after it was dissolved. I happened on a documentary that was made about the Theranos scandal and the first time I saw Elizabeth's face and heard her speak, I just shook my head and wondered how anyone could possibly believe what she said.

Wow rich kid with a head on right, hope he goes far and successful

What a true hero! People like Tyler still keep my hope alive.

I am a former Veterinary Laboratory Technician, principally working on the production on two Prescription Only Medications, specifically antigen testing reagents (rather a Purified Protein Derivative) for bovine TB, which is almost endemic here in England ... From first hand of dealing with the high level of QC, especially in the Cleanroom conditions I worked in, plus, the GMP/GLP standards, even with just an HND in Applied Biology (which is a slightly advanced version of an Associates Degree ...), the moment that I heard of Theranos announced what it was planning, even I, very low down on the food chain, couldn't believe it: it defied logic, engineering, and just basic biochemistry and haematology ... there was no freaking way it could ever work .. But what really blew my mind was how she was able to not only obtain the funding she did, but stacked the board with practically a who's who of Elder Statesman, including Gen. Mattis ... how she did that blows my mind ... ... but what fell out of this mess, and most shocking to me, was they were playing with _actual_ patients' blood, rather than volunteered test samples. That massive 300% difference is literally a matter of life or death, as accurate results _directly_ affects treatment. It's why hospital laboratories undergo routine QC, double blind, testing, to ensure that it meets, and preferably exceeds, standards, and those standards change over time, reflecting the increasing sensitivity of equipment, even though the volume of the blood remains the same. The reason for that is slightly above my pay-grade, but put simply, you can't test a tiny amount of bloody, fully, without a diluent. Dilution effects sensitivity even more, as the machines need to be even _more_ sensitive, especially when dealing with, say, the volume of white blood cells. In fact, working off of the direct sample, and obtaining a single, accurate, test result from a tiny sample, would've been a break through ... But she promised tens, if not hundreds, of analyses off of the exact same volume ... Elizabeth Holmes may have bluffed those with the money, but little scientific knowledge, but she couldn't bluff the scientific community. For persuading Walgreens, to go live, with actual patients lives in her hands, 25-Life is in order, plus a lifetime ban holding _any and all_ executive positions, if paroled ... to me, she's worse than Amber Heard ... ... and _that_ is saying alot ... And, yes, I'm pretty pissed off about Holmes ... she isn't worthy of that surname ...

I am OBSESSED with this story!! She should have just been a motivational speaker. Smh

Go Tyler!! Great Human Being.

I recently went through a similar situation at a startup in silicon valley. Thanks for sharing your story.

The toxic work environment, the gaslighting, the intimidation from the private investigators following him, the large legal fees to fight the frivolous lawsuits they brought up on him for telling the truth, Elizabeth infiltrating his family, His grandfather choosing her over him-all of it just dizzying…

Theranos is like a mix between big tech, big business, and scientology secrecy

Legal system is indeed disappointing

Look at that kiddo - Bright & Shining! We need more people like him in the society! And kudos to the Shultz family for their upbringing...

If Hulu's the Dropout portrayed it correctly, his relationship with his Grandfather was forever ruined over this. The man went to his grave without ever apologizing to his grandson. And on a side note the actor they used to portray him was really cute, lol.

What I want to know is if his Grandfather ever apologized to him? Least he could have done is pay his lawyers fees. That POS didn't believe his own flesh and blood and turned him in.

a man of integrity. it takes nerves of steel to go against your own family, especially grandfather. at times, he must've felt he was going literally insane.

I am so proud of Tyler for standing up for the truth amid so much pressure to look away from those he loved and respected. With alot of courage and the right calculations on how to proceed he succeeded and saved lives. No doubt his company will be a success. Tyler is an inspiration. Bravo young man!

This is a very touchy ethical conduct experience with a person of integrity. Kudos to him!

I would hire him. He was loyal to any reasonable point and clearly has his priorities right. Nothing proves your company trustworthiness more than hiring people like that.

He’s great. I read the book and his integrity is to be admired. He’s also really cute lol.

The fact that he’s wearing a Grey shirt and talking in front of all these people and i dont see even a hint of sweat under his arms tells me all i need to know lol. I wouldn’t mess with him lol

This young man is a moral hero. I’m glad he had such promising career prospects and opportunities after going public with his identity- he deserves them!

Wow. What a remarkable young man. And what a horrifying situation he placed himself in both personally in regard to his family relationships, legally and financially in order to do the right thing. I’m not entirely sure the $400,000 Dollars this affaire cost him and his family was as easy to swallow as some commenters suggest-he mentions risking loosing a house. So the other heroes in the story sound like his parents who also supported him despite all the marketing saying that the device worked. The vast majority of venture capitalist funds aren’t looking to invest in scams but often lack expertise in the businesses in which they invest. His current success with his company in the same medical devices space reflects the value most funds place as trust that the business’ leadership is honest. His leadership is, beyond a doubt. He’s proven it through trial by fire and I wish him all the success such an extraordinary individual has both earned and deserves. Finally as a Medical Doctor myself, I do need to echo one of the audience member’s comments-his actions absolutely saved people’s lives who depend on the accuracy of these types of tests. Again, what a remarkable young man. Steve K.

The companies that want to hire a whistleblower are companies I want to work for.

Well done Tyler, your honesty, and good communication skills is so impressive. You will do well. It's nice knowing there are young men like you . Love Australia

When the grandson has more integrity than his grandfather. Smh.