The way Theranos reportedly reacted to the suicide of its chief scientist is unbelievably cold

While dealing with the death of an employee is likely an incredibly difficult task, Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes' reported reaction to the suicide of one of her first hires was particularly unusual.

That's according to a story out from Vanity Fair's Nick Bilton, who details the rise and fall of the blood-testing company.

In the piece, Bilton describes what happened to Ian Gibbons, one of Holmes' first hires at Theranos.

Gibbons, who was named chief scientist by Holmes in 2005, had grown increasingly vocal about the inaccuracies of Theranos technology, according to Vanity Fair. In May 2013, Gibbons received a phone call that Holmes wanted to meet with him the following day. Allegedly fearing he was about to be fired, Gibbons attempted suicide.

When Gibbons died a week later, Holmes' reaction was allegedly cold, according to Gibbons' wife, Rochelle. Here's how Vanity Fair tells it:

"When Rochelle called Holmes's office to explain what had happened, the secretary was devastated and offered her sincere condolences. She told Rochelle Gibbons that she would let Holmes know immediately. But a few hours later, rather than a condolence message from Holmes, Rochelle instead received a phone call from someone at Theranos demanding that she immediately return any and all confidential Theranos property."

The full story on Holmes - and the myriad issues within the company - is worth the read, so head over to Vanity Fair for more.

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