Elizabeth Holmes Asks Trump to Commute Her Prison Sentence

Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the disgraced blood-testing startup Theranos, has formally asked US President Donald Trump to commute her prison sentence, according to records published by the US Department of Justice. The request, submitted last year, is currently listed as pending by the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney.

The White House has declined to comment on Elizabeth Holmes’ request, and her legal team has not issued a public statement. Holmes remains incarcerated at a minimum-security federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas.

Convicted in One of Silicon Valley’s Biggest Frauds

Elizabeth Holmes was convicted in November 2022 on four counts of wire fraud and conspiracy for misleading investors about Theranos’ blood-testing technology. She was sentenced to 11¼ years in prison and ordered to pay $452 million in restitution. A federal appeals court upheld both her conviction and sentence in early 2025.

Once hailed as a Silicon Valley prodigy, Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos as a university dropout with no formal medical training. The company claimed it could run dozens of diagnostic tests using just a finger-prick of blood—technology that, prosecutors later proved, did not function as advertised.

At its peak, Theranos was valued at $9 billion, and Holmes’ personal net worth was estimated at $4.5 billion in 2015. High-profile investors included Rupert Murdoch, Larry Ellison, and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

The Investigation That Brought It All Down

Theranos’ unraveling began with a 2015 exposé by Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou, which revealed that the company’s proprietary machines were not being used for most tests. Instead, conventional lab equipment was quietly substituted while Holmes continued to promote revolutionary claims.

As regulatory scrutiny intensified, Theranos withdrew its tests, recalled machines, and ultimately dissolved in 2018. That same year, Holmes and former company executive Sunny Balwani were charged with defrauding investors and patients.

What a Commutation Would Mean

If Trump were to pardon or commute Holmes’ sentence, she would be released from prison but would still be required to pay restitution. A full pardon, however, would eliminate that obligation—an outcome widely viewed as far less likely.

Holmes is currently not eligible for release until December 2031, leaving nearly six years remaining on her sentence.

Trump’s Expanding Use of Clemency

Since beginning his second term, Trump has granted pardons and clemency to more than 1,600 individuals, a sharp increase from the 237 pardons and commutations issued during his first term. Many of the recent clemency decisions have been politically controversial, particularly those involving individuals linked to the January 6 Capitol attack.

Whether Elizabeth Holmes’ request will gain traction remains unclear. For now, her appeal adds another chapter to the Theranos saga—one of the most infamous collapses in modern tech history, and a cautionary tale about hype, power, and unchecked ambition.