Elizabeth Holmes news: Theranos founder surrenders to Texas prison to begin 11-year sentence

Disgraced tech entrepreneur reported to prison in Texas minutes before a court-imposed deadline on Tuesday

Elizabeth Holmes ordered to report to prison May 30

Elizabeth Holmes has reported to prison to begin her 11-year sentence for defrauding investors in her blood-testing Silicon Valley start-up Theranos.

Wearing a beige sweater, jeans and sneakers, the 39-year-old mother of two was directed into Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, by staff from the Federal Bureau of Prisons minutes before a court-imposed deadline of 2pm on Tuesday.

A federal appeals court rejected her bid to remain out of prison earlier this month while she attempts to overturn her January 2022 conviction on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy.

A delay was granted to give Holmes time to sort out child care for her one-year-old son William and three-month-old daughter Invicta. Holmes had originally been ordered to begin her prison sentence on 27 April.

Holmes spent the Memorial Day weekend with husband Billy Evans and their children near their home in San Diego, before surrendering to authorities in Texas.

She has also been ordered to pay $452m in restitution to out-of-pocket investors, including Rupert Murdoch and Betsy DeVos.

Her former romantic and business partner, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, began serving a nearly 13-year prison sentence last month in Southern California.

Key points

• Elizabeth Holmes starts her 11-year sentence for fraud
• Amanda Seyfried reacts to Elizabeth Holmes starting 11-year prison sentence
• Watch: Moment Elizabeth Holmes turns herself in to begin prison term
• How long will Elizabeth Holmes serve?
• What is Elizabeth Holmes’ net worth?

[31 May 2023 07:00 · Bevan Hurley]

Amanda Seyfried reacts to Elizabeth Holmes starting 11-year prison sentence

Amanda Seyfried made a Good Morning America appearance on the same day disgraced tech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes began her 11-year prison sentence.

“Timing is everything,” host Michael Strahan noted, with Seyfried – who starred as the convicted Theranos founder in Hulu’s 2022 miniseries The Dropout – acknowledging the coincidence: “I heard that. Today’s the big – yeah, weird, you know.

“I feel for those kids. There’s two kids that are hanging in the balance here, as a parent, as a mom...,” she trailed off, uncomfortably.

Inga Parkel has the full story.

[31 May 2023 08:00 · Bevan Hurley]

Who is Billy Evans, the husband of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes?

While Elizabeth Holmes’ spectacular fall has been pored over in countless news reports, documentaries, several books, and a TV miniseries, little is known about her marriage to hotel heir William “Billy” Evans.

The couple met in the fall of 2017 at a Fleet Week charity event in San Francisco, as Holmes’ blood-testing business Theranos was under federal investigation.

“I was captivated by her childish wonder and authenticity,” Mr Evans wrote in a gushing letter to the judge ahead of her sentencing last year.

Mr Evans pleaded with a judge not to send his wife to prison, claiming that her “capacity to change the world is limitless”.

Instead, he now faces raising their two young children without her for the next decade.

[31 May 2023 09:00 · Bevan Hurley]

Watch: Moment Elizabeth Holmes turns herself in to begin prison term

Elizabeth Holmes has turned herself in to prison to begin her 11-year sentence for defrauding wealthy investors in her blood-testing startup hoax Theranos.

Watch the moment Holmes arrives for the start of her 11-year sentence.

[31 May 2023 10:00 · Bevan Hurley]

What we know about the Texas prison holding Elizabeth Holmes

Disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has begun her 11-year prison sentence after being found guilty of defrauding investors in her Silicon Valley blood-testing startup.

She will serve her time at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas — an all-female facility that is located around 100 miles from Houston.

The minimum security prison houses around 600 inmates, and runs a variety of programmes intended to prepare prisoners for life after incarceration, according to Camp Bryan’s handbook.

Among the inmates at Camp Bryan is Real Housewives of Salt Lake Cityreality TV star Jen Shah, who is serving six years behind bars for wire fraud. Shah has posted several blog entries from the prison, which she said does not have “many kind people in this place”.

Former inmates include Jenna Ryan, the Texas real estate agent convicted of participating in the January 6 riots.

According to the Wall Street Journal, John Carreyrou’s 2018 book Bad Blood which documented her rise and fall is available in the prison library.

[31 May 2023 11:00 · Bevan Hurley]

Selfless visionary or scheming grifter?

From college dropout at 19 to billionaire at 30 and prison at 39, Elizabeth Holmes has had a life trajectory unlike any of her Silicon Valley peers.

Her tainted legacy will continue to be fought over for years to come, Bevan Hurley writes.

[31 May 2023 12:00 · Bevan Hurley]

Everything we know about disgraced Theranos founder going to jail

Disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has begun her 11-year prison sentence after being found guilty of defrauding investors, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch, over fake claims about the company’s blood-testing capabilities.

Wearing a beige sweater, jeans and sneakers, the 39-year-old mother of two was directed into Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, by staff from the Federal Bureau of Prisons minutes before a court-imposed deadline of 2pm on Tuesday.

As well as being handed jail time over her role in misleading investors, Holmes was also ordered to pay $452m in restitution.

Here’s a comprehensive wrap on how we got to this point.

[31 May 2023 13:00 · Bevan Hurley]

Amanda Seyfried reacts to Elizabeth Holmes starting 11-year prison sentence

Amanda Seyfried made a Good Morning America appearance on the same day disgraced tech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes began her 11-year prison sentence.

“Timing is everything,” host Michael Strahan noted, with Seyfried – who starred as the convicted Theranos founder in Hulu’s 2022 miniseries The Dropout – acknowledging the coincidence: “I heard that. Today’s the big – yeah, weird, you know.

“I feel for those kids. There’s two kids that are hanging in the balance here, as a parent, as a mom...,” she trailed off, uncomfortably.

Inga Parkel has the full story.

[31 May 2023 14:00 · Bevan Hurley]

Who is Billy Evans, the husband of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes?

While Elizabeth Holmes’ spectacular fall has been pored over in countless news reports, documentaries, several books, and a TV miniseries, little is known about her marriage to hotel heir William “Billy” Evans.

The couple met in the fall of 2017 at a Fleet Week charity event in San Francisco, as Holmes’ blood-testing business Theranos was under federal investigation.

“I was captivated by her childish wonder and authenticity,” Mr Evans wrote in a gushing letter to the judge ahead of her sentencing last year.

Mr Evans pleaded with a judge not to send his wife to prison, claiming that her “capacity to change the world is limitless”.

Instead, he now faces raising their two young children without her for the next decade.

[31 May 2023 14:30 · Megan Sheets]

How will Elizabeth Holmes keep in touch with her family from jail?

Elizabeth Holmes is married to Billy Evans, and the pair have two children, William, 2, and newborn Invicta. She lives around 100 miles from her family, who will be permitted to visit her in prison at weekends.

Inmates at Camp Bryan are also permitted to take part in video sessions with their friends and family, according to the handbook, as well as to send and receive text messages.

Prior to beginning her sentence at Camp Bryan, Holmes spent the weekend with her husband and children at the beach.

[31 May 2023 15:00 · Megan Sheets]

WATCH: Elizabeth Holmes enters Texas prison to begin sentence