A Wall Street Genius's Final Investment Playbook-Chapter 141

As Kissinger pushed open the courtroom doors and stepped inside, every gaze in the gallery turned toward him at once.

His hunched back and deeply etched wrinkles spoke of the waves of time that had passed, yet his eyes remained as sharp as ever.

An unyielding dignity, untouched by time, was evident in his every movement.

A tidal wave of murmurs swept through the gallery.

"Is that really Kissinger?"

"He actually showed up…?"

Henry Kissinger.

A symbolic figure of American diplomacy in the late 20th century.

His name was engraved in history alongside events like the Vietnam War and the normalization of relations with China.

Though he was both a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a controversial figure branded as a war criminal, one thing was undeniable.

He was a living legend who had shaped a page of history.

And now, that legend was standing right here in the courtroom, his sharp eyes wide open.

The audience straightened their posture, trying to take in every detail of Kissinger’s presence.

Even the jurors and the judge peered at him intently over their glasses, their gazes a mixture of curiosity, respect, and awe.

In contrast, Holmes and Blackwell had already lost control of their expressions.

‘The game is already over.’

Now that Kissinger had taken the witness stand, Theranos's defeat was inevitable.

What was to follow in the courtroom was merely a predetermined sequence of events.

Even so, they couldn’t simply say, “We surrender,” and walk away.

Even with defeat staring them in the face, they had no choice but to fight until the bitter end.

A bleak situation indeed.

Kissinger walked toward the witness stand with slow but resolute steps.

And at that moment—

Blackwell shot up from his seat.

“Your Honor, considering this new development, we request a recess to discuss a settlement with the plaintiff.”

I bit my lip to suppress the laughter threatening to escape.

A settlement?

At this point?

Not a chance.

“The defense may respond.”

“I object, Your Honor.”

I answered without hesitation, slowly turning to face Blackwell.

This time, I didn’t bother to hide the victorious smile spreading across my lips.

“There will be no suspension of proceedings, no settlement. Please proceed with the trial.”

We had spent months building up to this moment—there was no way we were stopping now.

As the last glimmer of hope faded from Holmes’s eyes, every gaze in the courtroom shifted to the witness stand, where Kissinger had taken his seat.

The court clerk asked him in a solemn voice,

“Do you solemnly swear, before God, to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in regard to this case?”

“I do.”

Kissinger’s voice was unwavering and firm.

My attorney approached him slowly.

“Please state your name and position.”

“Henry Kissinger. Former director of Theranos.”

“What was the reason for your resignation from the board?”

Kissinger took a measured breath before answering.

“I heard allegations of mismanagement at Theranos from Ha Si-heon and decided to investigate personally. During that process, I received alarming information from a former employee.”

At that moment, Theranos’s attorney sprang to his feet and shouted,

“Objection! That is clearly hearsay evidence!”

Hearsay evidence.

It referred to statements made by a third party who was not present in court.

Since every citizen had the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses testifying against them, statements from absent individuals were generally inadmissible.

In short, Kissinger’s testimony about what he had heard from a whistleblower would normally not be allowed in court.

However, there were exceptions.

“The whistleblower’s statement was self-incriminating, qualifying it under the exception for statements against interest. Furthermore, it provides insight into the witness’s state of mind at the time of his resignation, making it an additional exception.”

As Ha Si-heon’s attorney made this argument, all eyes turned to the judge.

A tense silence filled the courtroom before the judge’s voice rang out.

“Objection overruled. The statement meets the criteria for an exception to the hearsay rule.”

The judge took a brief pause before addressing the jury.

“However, you are to consider this statement solely as an indication of the witness’s state of mind at the time of his resignation.”

His words carried a double meaning.

It was both a warning that the whistleblower’s testimony might not be factual and an acknowledgment that the court would allow it to be heard.

Now, Theranos had only one last card left to play.

Blackwell, struggling to keep his face composed, spoke through gritted teeth.

“…I must remind the court that the witness’s testimony pertains to matters discussed in the boardroom and is protected under an NDA.”

Once again, they had pulled out the infamous shield that had blocked every controversy before.

The dreaded NDA.

As soon as he finished speaking, an uproar erupted from the gallery.

“Not the damn NDA again!”

“Corporate murderers!”

Amid the chaos, the judge called for order, and several unruly spectators were escorted out.

“If the disruptions continue, I will clear the gallery entirely.”

At the judge’s stern warning, the courtroom gradually regained its composure.

The spectators, desperate not to lose their chance to witness history, swallowed their outrage.

“Witness, you are aware that your testimony may constitute a violation of the NDA, as the defense claims. Do you still wish to proceed?”

Yet, behind the judge’s question, there was a silent plea—Please, say you will.

Everyone knew that this testimony was the key to finally bringing an end to everything.

Kissinger slowly lifted his head and surveyed the courtroom.

After a brief silence, he spoke in a solemn tone.

“The NDA was originally designed to protect corporate innovation and trade secrets. However, it should never be used as a shield to conceal the truth or enable crime.”

He paused for a moment, then locked eyes with the judge before continuing.

“I am fully aware of the legal consequences of violating the NDA.

Nonetheless, today, in this courtroom, I am here to reveal the entire truth about Theranos.”

The moment Kissinger finished speaking, thunderous cheers erupted from the gallery.

This was the very reason why the trial had dragged on for so long.

Why, despite all the suspicious circumstances, no official investigation into Theranos had been conducted.

The ironclad NDA had been their last line of defense.

Until now, countless witnesses had chipped away at its edges, giving fragmentary testimonies that hinted at wrongdoing.

But no one—until this moment—had dared to directly defy the NDA and declare their intent to expose the full truth.

The courtroom was a madhouse.

Amid the flood of cheers and shouts, the crowd chanted Kissinger’s name.

Even the judge, who had just issued a stern warning, watched the scene with a faint smile.

Meanwhile, Kissinger maintained a calm expression, but his eyes gleamed even brighter.

He must be pleased.

And why wouldn’t he be?

For someone who valued his reputation above all else, receiving such a heroic reception in his twilight years was an unparalleled honor.

Despite his delayed testimony, he had been given a red carpet and a microphone, ensuring that his words would be met with applause. How could he not feel a sense of satisfaction?

“Order! Maintain order in the courtroom!”

The judge finally raised his voice, and the roaring crowd gradually quieted until a suffocating silence filled the room.

All eyes were fixed on Kissinger’s lips.

And so, at last—

The moment of reckoning had arrived.

Kissinger relayed the whistleblower’s testimony in a calm and measured tone.

“That former employee reported that Theranos had manipulated verification data for its device, Newton. Even more shocking, Newton was unable to reproduce its own test results.”

As his revelations continued, the courtroom buzzed with rising tension.

Even those watching the broadcast in real-time expressed disbelief.

— It couldn’t reproduce results? What does that even mean?

— It means that repeating tests with the same blood sample produced different outcomes each time.

— ?? That’s not science, that’s gambling.

— So it’s not a medical device, it’s basically a loot box?

— And they were planning to release this to the market???

Kissinger’s exposé poured out like an unstoppable avalanche.

“During reliability testing, Theranos used data from commercial devices instead of Newton’s own. When employees protested, they were given an absurd explanation—‘Newton is too innovative to have a fair comparison, so we used third-party devices instead.’”

— What kind of nonsense is this?

— So they basically had someone else take the test for them, claiming they were “too smart” to be properly evaluated?

But this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Kissinger, still composed and unwavering, continued his testimony.

“And he also stated that Theranos had actually been modifying Siemens devices for use. In reality, most tests were conducted using third-party equipment, not Newton.”

The so-called revolutionary medical device that Theranos had touted as a game-changer—Newton—was, in truth, nothing more than a random generator.

Of course, they couldn’t actually use it, so they ran blood tests on patients using third-party machines.

But the real problem was…

“To generate valid results, Siemens devices require a certain minimum volume of blood. However, Theranos had always claimed that its tests required only a tiny amount. Officially, they used only the blood collected in their ‘Nanotainer.’ But in reality, since they were using Siemens devices, they had to dilute the samples to compensate for the insufficient volume.”

Kissinger’s testimony laid bare the full extent of Theranos’s deception.

They had claimed to be leading a technological revolution, but in truth, they had been running fraudulent tests by diluting blood samples and using a competitor’s equipment.

And the mastermind behind it all—

“That employee stated that everything was done under Holmes’s direct orders. She coerced and manipulated employees, orchestrating a systematic fraud, and silenced those who tried to expose the truth by forcing them to sign NDAs.”

Every word out of his mouth was headline-worthy.

From the gallery, someone shouted in rage—

“Murderer!”

Meanwhile, Theranos’s legal team remained silent, listening to Kissinger’s testimony.

They had anticipated this.

They had done everything in their power to prevent Kissinger from taking the stand.

But now that he was here, it was all over.

Holmes clenched her fists.

At this point, a defamation lawsuit or investor confidence was the least of her concerns.

Public opinion had its dagger at Theranos’s throat.

And in a matter of moments, she could find herself behind bars.

‘How the hell…?’

Holmes had never had the advantage—neither in public opinion nor in court.

But there was one thing she had always relied on.

The lack of evidence.

No matter what the witnesses said, in the end, it was just one claim against another.

As long as it was a battle of words, she still had a chance.

Who would people believe?

A low-level investment analyst from Goldman Sachs, or Silicon Valley’s youngest female unicorn founder?

Until recently, she had graced the cover of Fortune magazine.

The world saw her as the next Bill Gates, the next Steve Jobs.

In terms of credibility, it was absurd to compare her to some junior analyst.

But now—

With Kissinger on the witness stand, the entire game had changed.

‘He promised to stay silent! He knew this would blow up in his face, so why…?’

Henry Kissinger.

A titan who had shaped the United States, who had steered the world through the Cold War.

When it came to credibility, no young entrepreneur—no matter how famous—could stand against a figure of his stature.

‘Ha Si-heon… How did he manage to get Kissinger here…?’

And then, it hit her.

From the very beginning, Ha Si-heon hadn’t been fighting this battle in court—he had been waging war in the court of public opinion.

‘Could it be… that all of this was planned just to bring Kissinger here?’

Her gaze flickered toward the judge, then to the cameras broadcasting the trial to the entire world.

The reason Kissinger had hesitated to testify wasn’t because of loyalty to Theranos.

It was because he feared tarnishing his own legacy.

But now, in this very moment, everyone in the courtroom saw him as a hero.

Despite the terrifying consequences of violating the NDA, he had chosen to stand up and speak the truth.

From the moment he stepped into the courtroom, Holmes’s defeat had been inevitable.

Yet she couldn’t just stand there and say, “I confess.”

She had to survive.

Somehow.

That was when the judge spoke.

“Proceed with cross-examination.”

Blackwell rose slowly and approached Kissinger.

“The witness has personally verified none of the whistleblower’s claims. Furthermore, the witness lacks the technical expertise to evaluate these matters.”

His point was precise.

Kissinger knew nothing about the technology.

Sensing the advantage, Blackwell pressed further.

“Do you have any concrete evidence to support the whistleblower’s allegations?”

To prove technological fraud, hard evidence was required.

But all testing data and internal documents were tightly controlled by Theranos and classified as confidential.

There was no evidence.

How could they prove this wasn’t just the baseless ranting of a former employee?

That was the unspoken challenge in Blackwell’s question.

But at that moment—

Kissinger gave an unwavering, knowing smile.

“Did I walk into the wrong courtroom?”

He continued,

“We are not here to debate the validity of the technology. As far as I know, Ha Si-heon’s lawsuit is about mismanagement.”

His words cut to the core.

Ha Si-heon had never sued for fraud.

He had long suspected Holmes of being a fraudster, but the official lawsuit filed against her was a shareholder derivative suit for mismanagement.

Therefore, they didn’t need to prove that Theranos’s technology was fake.

All they had to establish was—

“The mere fact that a former head researcher is making these claims under oath is evidence of gross mismanagement.”

And with Kissinger on the stand, proving that was effortless.

“The fact that these concerns were never once raised at board meetings is deliberate deception. That alone is undeniable proof of mismanagement.”

In this lawsuit, all that mattered was the lies Holmes had told Kissinger as a board member.

Each one of them sealed her defeat.

But the storm was far from over.

Kissinger’s testimony was only the first domino to fall.