Elizabeth Holmes’s parents are Christian Holmes and Noel Anne Daoust. Christian Holmes is a former executive at Enron and served as the director of humanitarian assistance for the U.S. Department of Defense during the George W. Bush administration.
He later worked at the University of Virginia as the executive director of global initiatives before retiring in 2019.
Noel Anne Daoust is a Canadian citizen and worked as a congressional committee staff member in Washington, D.C. before she met Christian Holmes. The couple married and had Elizabeth, their only child, in Washington in 1984.
Throughout the scandal surrounding Theranos, Christian, and Noel remained supportive of their daughter. They were both involved with the company in various capacities. Christian served on Theranos’ board of directors, while Noel was a consultant for the company.
In the Hulu series The Dropout, Christian is portrayed by actor Michael Gill, and Elizabeth Marvel appeared as Noel. The show depicts the couple’s unwavering support of their daughter.
Elizabeth Holmes Family Tree
Elizabeth Holmes may be the most well-known member of her family, but her father’s ancestry is quite impressive. Her great-great-grandfather was a successful engineer and doctor who immigrated from Denmark to Cincinnati, Ohio.
He achieved the such remarkable success that a Cincinnati hospital was named after him. Her grandfather married Bettie Fleishmann, a wealthy woman whose family had established Fleischmann Yeast, a pioneering packaged yeast company.
Elizabeth Holmes’s Father, Christian Holmes
Elizabeth Holmes’ father, Christian, comes from a prominent family with a successful lineage. His father was an engineer and doctor who emigrated from Denmark to Ohio and became so prosperous that a hospital was named after him.
He married Bettie Fleischmann, whose family founded Fleischmann Yeast, a leading packaged yeast company.
Christian Holmes was raised in a wealthy family in San Francisco, where his father was a businessman, and his mother worked as a model. After attending Wesleyan University, he worked for the U.S. Agency for International Develop and the State Dept, specializing in disaster relief.
Holmes’ daughter initially planned to follow in his footsteps but later decided to pursue the idea of building a company to directly impact people’s lives.
Christian Holmes also worked in the private sector, serving as a vice president at energy companies Tenneco and Enron.
Later, Christian Holmes returned to public service, working at the EPA, USTDA, and USAID, where he served as global water coordinator. He was an advisor to The Consulting Group.
Elizabeth convinced her parents to invest their money in her idea for Theranos, persuading them to invest in her company out of their retirement fund.
Christian’s social and political connections were also beneficial to the early success of Theranos, as he introduced his daughter to venture capitalists Timothy Draper and Donald L.
Elizabeth Holmes’s Mom, Noel Anne Daoust
Elizabeth Holmes’ mother, Noel Anne Daoust, has lived a more private life than her husband, and little details are known about her.
Like her husband, she worked in government, serving as a policy aide, including to Rep. Charlie Wilson, a well-known Texas politician. After Elizabeth and her brother Christian were born, Noel left her job to stay home and raise her children.
During Theranos’ successful years in 2014, Noel shared her daughter’s determination with Fortune, recalling when Elizabeth wrote a patent application while living at home.
Noel witnessed Elizabeth sitting at her computer for five to six days, barely taking breaks, eating only when Noel brought her food, and sleeping one or two hours a night for five nights.
Later, when Elizabeth decided to quit school and start a company, Noel supported her daughter’s choice. She believed parents should encourage their children to pursue their passions, follow their dreams, help people, and change the world.
Tyler Shultz, one of the first Theranos whistleblowers, had a different view of Elizabeth’s relationship with her parents. In his memoir, he describes a situation where Elizabeth’s parents were unaware of her 30th birthday party, suggesting a distant relationship between them.
