From Vanity Fair · Dan Adler · · 2m
Billy Evans and Elizabeth Holmes: A24 Documentary
Billy Evans emerges as primary villain in A24's absurdist documentary about Elizabeth Holmes.
In brief
Billy Evans emerges as primary villain in A24's absurdist documentary about Elizabeth Holmes. Billy Evans is portrayed as a smarmy, self-satisfied figure who exerts control over the documentary project, leading to estrangement from filmmakers. Originally reported by Vanity Fair.
Billy Evans and Elizabeth Holmes
In August 2023, I sent a LinkedIn message to Billy Evans after rumors of a documentary about him and his wife Elizabeth Holmes emerged.
Evans' Specific Request
Evans asked for an email from my Vanity Fair account with a business card featuring his name written in green pen to prove identity.
Holmes' Legal Status
Holmes was convicted of defrauding investors in 2022 and met Evans in 2017 while under federal investigation but not yet indicted.
Children Timeline
Their first child was born just before Holmes' trial, and their second child was born just before she reported to prison.
Documentary Secrecy
A24 assembled a tight crew of seven collaborators to keep pre-incarceration trips to Holmes and Evans' Del Mar beachfront home secret.
Documentary Release
The film was not known to the public until the moments leading up to its surprise screening at the Telluride Film Festival in September.
Film's Central Twist
Evans is portrayed as a smarmy, self-satisfied figure who sniffs conspicuously and brags about his own prowess in various arenas.
“a smarmy, self-satisfied svengali figure who sniffs conspicuously and blithely brags about his own prowess in a variety of arenas”
Filmmakers' Estrangement
Fielder stated that near the end of filming, Evans tried to exert control over the project, causing communication to break down.
“Near the end of filming, Billy was trying to exert a level of control over the project that made us uncomfortable, and communication with him sort of broke down because of that”
Evans' Background
Evans grew up with a reputation for dating older girls and had a family known for idiosyncrasies, including a blue Argentine tegu and corn snake.
Evans' Wealth Perspective
Evans described his family's wealth as having multiple levels, but noted that Holmes was not part of the billionaire crowd.
“Well, isn’t your family rich? Yeah, I think that there’s, like, a lot of different levels of wealth.”
Documentary Impact
The documentary reveals Evans as the primary villain in the A24 film, with the filmmakers and Evans now estranged.
The headline
Billy Evans is portrayed as a smarmy, self-satisfied figure who exerts control over the documentary project, leading to estrangement from filmmakers.
