The trial of Elizabeth Holmes: perfect for the age of the Instagram influencer | Emma Brockes

The case of the self-promoting Theranos chief charged with fraud is a thrilling US drama tinged with schadenfreude

The end point of unbridled self-belief went on trial in San Jose in California this week, as Elizabeth Holmes - founder of defunct health tech company Theranos, and former world's youngest self-made billionaire" - appeared in court accused of fraud.

After dropping out of Stanford at the age of 19, Holmes built a company that was valued, at its height, at $9bn (6.5bn), and appeared on the cover of every news magazine in the land. On Wednesday, she sat with her legal team as an assistant US attorney accused her of being a liar and a cheat. It was a thrilling end to the kind of American drama that makes the non-billionaires among us feel good.