Who Do We Trust?
The Three Biggest Documentaries of the Year Point to Who Americans Believe and Why
“I invest when I see the vision, I see the opportunity and I see the person who I think can make it there.” Tim Draper, Theranos Investor
In the HBO Documentary “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley,” we learn that Thomas Edison tricked the public and investors into believing his incandescent light bulb was functional four years before it actually worked. Though Elizabeth Holmes’ story has taken a different path, at the height of her success, Holmes’ company Theranos was valued at $10 Billion and she was widely heralded as the next Steve Jobs. Theranos, a medical tech company meant to make the process of drawing blood quicker and easier, was funded by huge investors like Betsy Devos and Robert Murdoch, and backed by powerful politicians like James Mattis and Henry Kissinger. There was just one catch, her product never worked.
Theranos machines were not only funded, but released for use in more than 40 Walgreens locations without any investor or distributor having ever seen the product. The employees of the company stayed on board despite witnessing and working with non-functional equipment. Tyler Shultz, the whistle blower on the Theranos debacle, couldn’t even convince his own grandfather, investor and former Secretary of State George Shultz, that Holmes was committing fraud. Elizabeth Holmes was 19 years old when she started Theranos, a college dropout with no real previous experience running a business. So why was Holmes beyond reproach for so long?
“He seemed very charismatic. Very trustworthy.” Shiyuan Deng, Product Designer for Fyre Media.
“Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened” on Netflix dives deep into the mechanics of trust through a human lens. Billy McFarland, the CEO of Fyre Media raised $26 Million for a failed promotional music festival for a hypothetical app that would have helped to pay for a previous credit card scam. Billy, also a college dropout whose previous business dealings were marked by lawsuits and rumors of fraud, raised the money without much more than a smile and a nod from Ja Rule, an artist who served an extended prison sentence for tax evasion. According to the documentary, McFarland didn’t even get price quotes until after he’d raised the money.
Fyre Media had no financials, no plan and a spotty track record, but investors, partners and employees still put their trust in the company. They were provided money and resources to achieve their goals. Employees, even those close enough to see the struggles behind the scenes, had enough faith in McFarland to… well if you’ve seen it, you know.
A Forbes article by Brett Whysel explains that trust is “about making yourself vulnerable to another,” “predicting future behavior” and “expecting that the behavior will be beneficial to you.” In the two examples above, we see secretive and unscrupulous behavior from young people without successful track records. Yet people were willing to bet millions, billions in Holmes’ case, on the fact that they were capable, dependable and honest. Why?
The same article points out the flaw in trust. Unconscious and unproductive bias make people more likely to trust those who are familiar, similar to themselves, well known, and trusted by others. By the same token, they’re more likely to mistrust people based on negative stereotypes and implicit bias. Racial and gender bias are so ingrained in our culture and media, that they show even when the tv is on mute. Imagine having a trust issue that starts the moment you walk in the door. One that affects your career, your health and your safety. Imagine proving yourself over and over every day, because on sight you are seen as suspicious, unqualified and deceitful.
Now imagine the opposite. Imagine a world where your background, your appearance or your money make you impervious to rebuke.
“I didn’t believe them, the women. It sounds ridiculous. The way they dress, the way they act. I didn’t like them.” John Andrae, Juror in 2008 R. Kelly Trial
Surviving R. Kelly showed us a prime example of a person manipulating trust for malicious purposes. R. Kelly earned America’s trust by building a reputation as a talented singer. His public marriage to a fifteen year old girl didn’t stop people from supporting his music. Several lawsuits for assault and child pornography didn’t stop people from supporting his music. The artist’s sales actually saw a 16% increase on Spotify after the documentary aired.
It’s no coincidence that R. Kelly was able to move publicly for 25 years as a predator to young black women. He understood how to make himself appear vulnerable by releasing well timed inspirational songs. He controlled the narrative to keep trust by carefully concealing and bribing his victims. He kept making music to show his value to those in powerful positions. And he chose victims that he knew based on their appearance and income would not be trusted, would not be believed.
The bigger question that these three documentaries raise is not who do we trust, who do we invest in, or who do we believe, but who do we value? Why do we place the familiar and the powerful in front of the lives of everyday people? People who needed healthcare were fed false results instead. Small business owners invested their livelihood in a pipe dream. Little girls were swept away by a famous face and pulled into an unspeakable life. Life after life was harmed because we believe in pedigree, a confident voice and a set of bright lights more than we believe the truths right in front of our faces.
These documentaries, meant to show us the truth about three corrupt characters, reveal a deeper truth about ourselves, who we are and who we feel is worthy of our trust.
