Purposeful life or sugar-coated lies: How Elizabeth Holmes legitimised her fraud

This study examines how Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the health technology corporation, Theranos, constructed the legitimation of her blood-testing service. It contributes to current research on legitimation strategies of fraudsters, and extends the applicability of Van Leeuwen's legitimation framework. Nineteen interviews with Elizabeth Holmes were closely analysed to reveal that Holmes predominantly used discursive strategies to legitimise the corporate aims, depicting a revolutionary and trustworthy corporate image and aggrandising herself as a moral and altruistic business elite. This created an illusion that deluded stakeholders. These findings enrich our understanding of Holmes's deception, and provide insights into corporate legitimation by dishonest entrepreneurs. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.