She was once America’s youngest billionaire, a self-proclaimed woman.
As of this Tuesday, Elizabeth Holmes has been incarcerated in the federal prison of Bryan (Texas) to serve a sentence of eleven years and three months for the fraud of the company of false rapid blood tests, a case that became the parable of the Silicon Valley greed and arrogance.
The disgraced Theranos founder once had a paper net worth of $4.5 billion in 2014. Now, instead, she finds herself in a cell with less space than one of the bathrooms she kept in his house, according to the images released.
You will also have to take on a job at about twelve cents an hour and get up at six in the morning. All this represents a drastic transformation of his luxurious lifestyle, which is why no one was surprised by his attempts to delay his entry into prison to begin serving his sentence. Her media star status, however, created a lot of buzz among the inmates. Some assured reporters that they wanted to be “her friends†with her.
There are 650 women in Bryan’s prison. It is low security and lacks fences. She is located about 100 miles from Houston, where she resides with her family and her city where she grew up with the aspirations of becoming a technological visionary. She did it, albeit with tricks, which led her to be compared to none other than Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple and the greatest reference to the great entrepreneur.
Forbes magazine placed her on its list as the youngest and most promising millionaire. Other media gave her cover as the image of an exceptional entrepreneur.
Holmes, 39, had to be separated from her two children, William was born in July 2021, a few weeks before the start of the trial, and her three-month-old daughter, Invicta (invincible from Latin), whom she conceived after the jury found her guilty in January 2022 of four counts of fraud and conspiracy.
The judge decreed last November that she should enter prison this April, although she managed to delay that date by filing an appeal for allegedly receiving unfair treatment during the trial held in San Jose (California). The court ruled out this argument, which is why the judge ordered her admission on May 30. She had no choice but to surrender to her.
Until now, on bail, he had been residing in the San Diego area with the father of his children, William ‘Billy’ Evans, who manages a hotel company in that Californian city. The couple met in 2017, just as Holmes was being investigated for the sinking of Theranos, a start-up she founded after dropping out of Stanford University. She was 19 years old.
During the creation process of Theranos, Holmes had the collaboration of Ramesh ‘Sunny’ Balwani. They were lovers, as well as managers in the Palo Alto company. Balwani, 57, already entered jail a few months ago to serve a 13-year sentence.
The two promised that this collaboration would bear revolutionary fruits in the field of health. His method would allow diseases to be scanned quickly with just a few drops of blood taken through a finger prick.
The fervor that built up around his announcement was a magnet for investors to see the opportunity and advance some $1 billion. One of the contributors was Rupert Murdoch, owner of the media empire that includes Fox. Murdoch should be returned $125 million, but the expectation that he will pay the injured is virtually non-existent. At that boiling moment. numerous personalities rushed to form part of the board of directors, among these “the wise” Henry Kissinger.
A wonderful Hollywood tale until a series of articles in The Wall Street Journal revealed that it was all a house of cards. Just a scam. Everything was false, although Holmes initially replied that he only had envy behind the accusations. In 2018 it fell apart and it became clear that it was nothing more than a Silicon Valley practice of overselling capabilities still in development, more dream than reality, at treasure prices.
When she saw a loss, she denied having wanted to commit any fraud and placed all the responsibility on Balwani, who she said sexually and emotionally abused her. The ex-lover’s lawyer ruled out any truth to that excuse.
Holmes was seen relaxed upon accessing the prison. Upon entering, speculation began about the time that she will spend inside. Many Bryan inmates are released in less than their terms for good behavior and for participating in programs at the institution, including training Labrador puppies to serve as service dogs, or working in the kitchen.
Lis, as she wants to be called in her new life, is authorized to receive her partner and their two children every weekend. The rules establish that she can have a brief kiss, a hug and a handshake only upon arrival and departure.
