She says the reporter used the exact phrasing that’s in one of your
emails.”
Charlotte corrected her husband: “I think she said it was a number.”
Was it a number related to proficiency testing? Tyler asked. A lot of
people had seen that data, he said. The Journal could have gotten it
from many other former employees.
“Elizabeth says it could have only come from you,” George said
sternly.
Tyler stuck to his guns. He said he had no idea how the reporter had
gotten his information.
“We’re doing this for you,” George said. “Elizabeth says your career
will be over if the article is published.”
Without admitting anything, Tyler tried once more to convince his
grandfather that Theranos was misleading him. He went over again all
the things he had told him a year earlier, including the fact that the
company performed only a small fraction of its blood tests on its
proprietary Edison devices. George remained unconvinced. He told
Tyler that Theranos had prepared a one-page document for him to
sign affirming that he would abide by his confidentiality obligations
going forward. The Wall Street Journal was going to publish Theranos
trade secrets and those trade secrets would become public domain if
the company didn’t show it had taken action to protect them, he
explained. Tyler didn’t see why he had to do that but said he’d be
willing to consider it if it meant the company would stop bothering
him.
“Good, there are two Theranos lawyers upstairs,” George said. “Can
I go get them?”
Tyler felt blindsided and betrayed. He had specifically asked that
they meet without lawyers. But if he tried to duck out now, it would
reinforce everyone’s suspicion that he had something to hide, so he
heard himself say, “Sure.”
While George went upstairs, Charlotte told Tyler she was beginning
to wonder whether the Theranos “box” was real. “Henry is too,” she
said, referring to Henry Kissinger, “and he’s been saying he wants