Who is Elizabeth Holmes' husband Billy Evans? Inside the hospitality heir's whirlwind romance with the disgraced billionaire - from the MIT engagement ring to a world-gripping Theranos fraud trial
As the world waits for the verdict on the trial of Elizabeth Holmes - the disgraced businesswoman behind faux blood-testing start-up Theranos faces nine counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud - a cultlike fascination has grown up around the former tech entrepreneur's personal life.
The latest twist? During her high-stakes legal drama, Holmes, who could end up in prison for 20 years if convicted, managed to find love in William "Billy" Evans - a 29-year-old hospitality heir from California. Sources told Vanity Fair that the couple got married in a secret ceremony in 2019.
So, what do we know about her "husband"?
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Evans, who was raised in San Diego, comes from a prominent family. His grandparents, William and Anne Evans, founded the Evans Hotel Group in 1953, now run and managed by his father, William "Bill" L. Evans. The company has three properties - Bahia Resort Hotel, Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa and The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Evans also inherited a private museum and events space called Evans Garage that "houses vintage cars dating as far back as the 1880s", according to NPR.
In 2019, the New York Post reported that Evans' family was worried that Holmes had "brainwashed" him. Flash forward to now, and Evans' dad apparently is supportive of Holmes in public. He even presented himself as "concerned citizen" to reporters during her trial, under the fake name of Hanson, lamenting how the press treated Holmes poorly.
He attended MIT and graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics. Evans has also spent time in China at Fudan University, according to his LinkedIn page.
When Evans proposed to Holmes in 2019, he gave her his MIT signet ring instead of a diamond engagement ring, reports the New York Post, citing Evan's former colleague. "He could snap his fingers and have a triple-A diamond engagement ring instantly if he wanted to. But if you give her some extravagant ring, it could end up owned by the feds if she has to give up her material possessions," said the former colleague.
In 2019, the Daily Mail reported that Evans and Holmes were living together in a luxurious US$5,000-per-month flat in San Francisco. However, the lovebirds have now swapped their high rise for an even larger and more expensive home in the San Francisco area, according to CNBC.