Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of the collapsed blood-testing company Theranos, has formally petitioned President Donald Trump to commute her substantial prison sentence, according to official government records.
Formal Request for Presidential Clemency
The United States Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney has listed Holmes's commutation request as pending. The application was submitted last year, seeking executive intervention in her case. The White House has not yet provided any public comment regarding this high-profile plea for clemency.
The Rise and Fall of a Silicon Valley Icon
Holmes served as CEO throughout Theranos's turbulent 15-year history, famously claiming her startup had developed revolutionary medical technology capable of detecting numerous diseases from just a few drops of blood. These assertions propelled the company to an estimated valuation of $9 billion and transformed Holmes into a media sensation, with her personal fortune once pegged at $4.5 billion.
The company was hailed as an exemplar of American ingenuity, receiving praise from prominent figures including then-Vice President Joe Biden. However, the underlying technology never functioned as promised, and the ambitious claims were ultimately revealed to be fraudulent.
Substantial Fraud Conviction and Sentence
In January 2022, a jury convicted Holmes on four counts of fraud and conspiracy for deliberately misleading investors about her company's blood-testing capabilities and defrauding them of millions of dollars. Prosecutors characterised her crimes as among the most significant white-collar offences ever witnessed in Silicon Valley.
Now 41 years old and a mother of two young children, Holmes began serving her 11-year sentence in May 2023 at a federal prison facility in Texas. Her current listed release date with the Federal Bureau of Prisons is 19 March 2032. She continues to appeal both her conviction and sentence from behind bars.
Financial Restitution and Co-Defendant
The court also ordered Holmes and her former partner, Theranos Chief Operating Officer Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, to repay victims $452 million in restitution. Balwani was convicted separately on 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy.
Notable investors who suffered substantial financial losses include media mogul Rupert Murdoch, owed $125 million, and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Holmes remains permitted to receive visits from her husband, Billy Evans, and their two children during her incarceration.
