Tech CEOs Who Fell From Grace: Kalanick, SBF, Holmes
Travis Kalanick, Sam Bankman-Fried, Elizabeth Holmes — three tech CEOs whose meteoric rises ended in spectacular crashes. Test your knowledge.
10 questions~5 minen
Q1 / 10
Score: 0
What company did Travis Kalanick co-found in 2009?
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Q1. What company did Travis Kalanick co-found in 2009?
- Lyft
- Uber
- DoorDash
- Postmates
Travis Kalanick co-founded Uber with Garrett Camp in San Francisco in March 2009. Originally called UberCab, it pioneered the app-based ride-hailing model that disrupted the global taxi industry.Q2. When was Kalanick forced to resign as CEO of Uber?
- June 2016
- June 2017
- June 2018
- June 2019
Kalanick was forced to resign as Uber CEO on June 20, 2017, after major investors led by Benchmark Capital sent a letter demanding his departure. The pressure followed scandals including the Susan Fowler harassment expose and a video of him berating an Uber driver.Q3. What 2017 internal expose triggered Uber's leadership crisis?
- Susan Fowler's harassment blog post
- Elon Musk vs Uber Twitter feud
- An anti-Tesla memo
- The 'Greyball' leak
Former Uber engineer Susan Fowler published her viral blog post 'Reflecting On One Very, Very Strange Year At Uber' on February 19, 2017, detailing systemic sexual harassment and HR failures. It triggered investigations and helped force Kalanick's exit four months later.Q4. What was Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto exchange called?
- Binance
- Coinbase
- FTX
- Kraken
Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) co-founded FTX in 2019. At its peak in 2021-2022 the exchange was valued at $32 billion and SBF was hailed as the next Warren Buffett of crypto.Q5. When did FTX file for bankruptcy?
- August 2022
- November 2022
- January 2023
- March 2023
FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 11, 2022, after a Coindesk report revealed problematic ties between FTX and SBF's trading firm Alameda Research triggered a bank-run-style withdrawal crisis.Q6. What was SBF's sentence after his fraud conviction in March 2024?
- 10 years
- 15 years
- 25 years
- Life
Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on March 28, 2024, after being convicted of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy. Judge Lewis Kaplan also ordered him to forfeit $11 billion.Q7. What was the name of Elizabeth Holmes's blood-testing startup?
- Bloomberg
- Theranos
- Genolytics
- Quanterix
Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos in 2003 after dropping out of Stanford at age 19. The company falsely claimed it could run hundreds of medical tests from a single finger-prick of blood.Q8. Which Wall Street Journal reporter broke the Theranos fraud story in 2015?
- John Carreyrou
- Bob Woodward
- Roger Parloff
- Walt Mossberg
Investigative reporter John Carreyrou broke the Theranos story in the Wall Street Journal on October 16, 2015. He later expanded the reporting into the bestselling book 'Bad Blood,' which became an HBO documentary and Hulu series.Q9. What was Theranos's peak valuation before its collapse?
- $1 billion
- $4.5 billion
- $9 billion
- $15 billion
At its peak in 2014, Theranos was valued at approximately $9 billion, briefly making Elizabeth Holmes the world's youngest self-made female billionaire on paper. By 2018 the company was dissolved and her stake was worthless.Q10. How long was Elizabeth Holmes sentenced to in November 2022?
- 5 years
- 8 years
- 11 years and 3 months
- 20 years
Elizabeth Holmes was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison on November 18, 2022, for defrauding Theranos investors. She began serving her sentence at FPC Bryan in Texas on May 30, 2023.
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