Billy Evans' Family Hotels Defined San Diego's Mission Bay for 70 Years

Billy Evans, the 34-year-old partner of Elizabeth Holmes, has deep ties to the San Diego hospitality industry through a family that has owned luxury resorts for more than 70 years. Evans Hotels, the company founded by his grandparents, William and Anne Evans, in 1953, currently manages three major properties: the Bahia Resort Hotel and Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa in Mission Bay, and The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla.

The family’s influence in the region dates back to the mid-20th century when the Bahia Resort became the first commercial hotel lessee on Mission Bay. At that time, the area was largely undeveloped marshland. Over the decades, the business expanded under the leadership of Billy’s father, Bill Evans, who became a prominent figure in local politics and business.

In 2012, Bill Evans secured a new 40-year lease from the city for the Mission Bay resort. The deal was rushed through City Council to take advantage of low interest rates and did not require immediate redevelopment. It also included a provision allowing for a 50-year lease if a major redevelopment project was approved. Voice of San Diego described the agreement as peculiar for several reasons, noting the family’s frequent donations to political campaigns and Bill Evans’ close relationships with local politicians.

The Evans family has often clashed with local interests regarding taxes and development. In 2011, Bill Evans opposed a plan to expand the Convention Center because it would impose a tax increase on hotel guests. In 2016, a coalition of San Diego Chargers advocates targeted Evans Hotels for a boycott, arguing that the industry had blocked hotel tax increases needed to fund the new stadium. In 2018, the company filed a lawsuit alleging that local unions used environmental and land-use issues as leverage against public lease agreements, a dispute stemming in part from a failed attempt to build a hotel near Sea World.

Billy Evans attended Francis Parker School before earning an economics degree from MIT. He worked at LinkedIn and a self-driving car startup called Luminar Technologies before attempting to launch his own concierge medical services business. He met Holmes in 2017 in San Francisco, right around the time she was indicted by a federal grand jury. The couple got engaged in 2018, though Holmes confirmed in a 2025 interview that they are not legally married.

The family’s relationship with Holmes has been complex. Evans Hotels stated around the release of the documentary You Can See Everything that Billy Evans does not work for the company, holds no ownership, and is not involved in the business. However, Evans’ mother wrote a letter to the judge supporting Holmes before her sentencing. Evans’ father, Bill, attended the trial under the assumed name Hanson, introducing himself as a concerned citizen who fixed up old cars.

Evans is now raising money for a new startup called Haemanthus, which promises to use lasers and AI for health testing. The company was incorporated in 2024 and had reportedly raised $20 million as of 2025. It has not yet released a product. Holmes and Balwani were ordered to pay more than $450 million in restitution following their fraud convictions.

On the All-In podcast last month, Evans said the documentary was intended to counter the narrative about Holmes and let people see who she is. When asked if the film achieved that goal, Evans said he had not seen it yet and might think it was the dumbest thing he had ever done.