On Monday, a jury found Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes guilty on three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors after seven days of deliberation, according to The Guardian‘s account — and the case is getting some commenting on the similarity between the now-notorious company name and MCU villain Thanos.
Holmes raised over $900 million from investors for her blood-testing startup Theranos, according to a video released by The Verge. Rupert Murdoch, Henry Kissinger, and Larry Ellison were among those who bought into Theranos.
Prosecutors. however, were unable to provide sufficient evidence to prove her guilty of fraud against patients, and the jury remained undecided on three counts of defrauding investors.
The highly-publicized trial brought with it an influx of new eyes on the company, which sought to revolutionize blood-testing with the promise of using only a single drop of blood for any number of common tests. And the sudden influx of news coverage around the verdict has led many unfamiliar with the company to scratch their heads at headlines.
Writer Jonathan Dean tweeted, “I do keep on reading ‘Theranos found guilty’ headlines as ‘Thanos found guilty’ and thinking, sure, seems fair.”
Not that the Marvel villain’s crimes against half of all living things were ever really any question, but the names do seem to be causing some confusion. Theranos is a portmanteau of “therapy” and “diagnosis,” while Thanos is a diminutive of “Thanatos,” the personification of death in Greek myth.
While there have been some unintentional mix-ups of names in reporting on social media, the confusion has itself become a talking point. In September, comedian Megan Gailey tweeted “I get Thanos and Theranos confused.”
They’re not alone. Dozens of tweets about the confusion have been shared on Twitter. “Which one is the bad one,” asked one confused onlooker.
And then there’s this screenplay of a joke riffing off the confusion, in which Holmes dons the Infinity Gauntlet.
Holmes could be facing up to 65 years of prison time, though a sentencing date has not yet been set, and she may appeal the decision. Unlike the situation with Thanos, Stormbreaker will probably not be involved in her sentencing.
