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Comment by thrownaway2424 | Hacker News Reader

All credit to Holmes' accomplishments in business and technology, but this story should be read alongside another recent one:

http://qz.com/455109/entrepreneurs-dont-have-a-special-gene-...

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Although not poor, it seems her parents aren't really rich: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Holmes

They had enough for her to pay to attend university, which is certainly more than most. (Obviously, I'm referring to university of the price tag similar to Stanford.)

What precisely in the Wikipedia article you linked to made you suspect that her parents aren't rich? I saw, 'One of her ancestors was a founder of the Fleischmann's Yeast company', and immediately thought old money.

Is she backed by a wealthy family?

Take a look at her board of directors. Sometimes connections are worth more than money.

http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/board.asp?p...

Did you consider you're putting the horse before the cart? I mean to say....did you consider she has these connections because she comes from money? Sometimes they come hand in hand.

You need more than money to get Henry Kissinger on your board of directors at the age of 31.

Sure, but money and the connections derived from it certainly helps you get to that point.

Her parents both worked for Government

Sure, but so what?

'One of her ancestors was a founder of the Fleischmann's Yeast company', and her great-great-grandfather was 'dean of University of Cincinnati College of Medicine,[11] where a hospital is named after him.'

Wealth is usually gone by the second or third generation. Her parents seemed to be employees who had to put in their 9-5, not any kind of tycoons. They did afford a prep school and Stanford though, I guess that's more than most.

Shrug. Its totally possible the old wealth is gone, its totally possible its not. I should state, I don't think any less of this persons and their accomplishments. Just a bit of a nitpick on details.

I don't really recognize anyone very important besides Kissinger.

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