Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced Theranos CEO who was found guilty of defrauding investors out of millions of dollars, has made a desperate plea to President Donald Trump to shorten her 11-year prison sentence. This could free her almost six years early. Holmes has been in a Texas federal prison since May 2023, and her release date is set for March 2032. The request is still pending on the U.S. Justice Department’s website.
Holmes started Theranos after dropping out of Stanford. He promoted a revolutionary blood-testing device that promised hundreds of tests from a single drop of blood, which made the company worth $9 billion. Investors put in $945 million, drawn in by false claims backed by famous people like former Vice President Joe Biden. However, the technology was a scam, which led to her being found guilty of four counts of fraud and conspiracy in 2022.
Holmes, who is now 41 and has two kids, asked for a commutation last year because Trump has a history of giving clemency to white-collar criminals, even those with political ties. Her recent X posts praise Trump’s efforts to lower healthcare costs, comparing them to her failed vision, and she says she will fight her “weaponized” conviction. There has been a lot of speculation because the White House has not said anything.
