According to the US Department of Justice's Office of the Pardon Attorney website, Elizabeth Holmes's clemency application was submitted last year and is currently "pending". The latest online database from the US Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) indicates Holmes's projected release date is 30/12/2031.

She has already received several sentence reductions. If Holmes's clemency request is granted, she could be released almost 6 years early.

Elizabeth Holmes in a Texas prison, 8/2025. Photo: Reuters

Elizabeth Holmes is one of the few Silicon Valley entrepreneurs convicted of fraud. She dropped out of Stanford University at 19 to establish Theranos and was once hailed as a "female Steve Jobs" for her promise of technology that could test for numerous diseases with just a few drops of blood.

This narrative convinced many investors, patients, and even Holmes's admirers. Theranos raised over 700 million USD from investors, even deceiving some of the most astute individuals in Silicon Valley. The startup was once valued at 9 billion USD, making Holmes the world's youngest self-made female billionaire in 2015 with an estimated net worth of 4,5 billion USD.

However, in 2015, the deception came to light following an investigation by The Wall Street Journal. The investigation revealed that Theranos performed only about 12 of the hundreds of tests it claimed using its proprietary technology. They were also found to be using third-party equipment for traditional blood tests instead of their own technology. In early 2022, Holmes was convicted on four counts of fraud and sentenced to 11 years in prison, marking the end of a once-celebrated technology icon.

In recent months, Holmes has garnered attention after posts appeared on her X account praising former US President Donald Trump's efforts to reduce healthcare costs. The account also featured content about Holmes's family and her activities in prison. The posts stated that the content was "mostly Holmes's words, but posted by someone else". The administrator of this account remains unknown.

"We are continuing to fight to prove innocence, and know that the truth cannot be hidden forever", Holmes's account posted last week. Last year, a US appeals court affirmed the sentences for Holmes and Theranos President Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani. The court also upheld the ruling requiring Holmes and Balwani to pay 452 million USD in restitution to victims.

Ha Thu (according to CNN, Reuters)