London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 02, 2026

Court orders Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes to go to prison

Court orders Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes to go to prison

A court has ruled that disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes must report to prison on 30 May, while she appeals against her fraud conviction.
Holmes, 39, had asked a judge to remain free while she fought against her jail sentence for a blood-testing hoax.

She was sentenced to over 11 years in prison after a jury last year found her guilty of defrauding investors.

In a separate ruling, US District Judge Edward Davila also ordered Holmes to pay $452m (£364m) to victims.

She will split the multi-million dollar payment with her former romantic and business partner, ex-Theranos boss Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani.

The BBC has reached out to Holmes' attorneys for comment.

Balwani was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted on 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy last year. He began serving his sentence in April after losing his own attempt to remain free while appealing against his conviction.

The court has recommended Holmes serve her time behind bars at a federal minimum-security women's prison in Bryan, Texas.

Holmes had asked the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to delay her sentence days before she was supposed to report to prison last month.

The Theranos founder had said that she would raise "substantial questions" about her case that could warrant a new trial, an argument that Judge Davila had rejected.

"Contrary to her suggestion that accuracy and reliability were central issues to her convictions, Ms Holmes' misrepresentations to Theranos investors involved more than just whether Theranos technology worked as promised," he said at the time.

Holmes' attorneys also argued she should remain free while appealing against her case to care for her children.

The mother of two has been living in San Diego, California, with her partner, hotel heir William Evans, as well as their one-year-old son William and three-month-old daughter Invicta.

Once hailed as the "next Steve Jobs", Holmes was said to be the world's youngest self-made billionaire.

She started Theranos after dropping out of Stanford University. During her time leading the company, Holmes was able to raise millions of dollars from high-profile investors, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Oracle founder Larry Ellison.

But the start-up crashed in 2018 after investigations revealed its technology did not work. The blood-testing device was purported to be able to run a multitude of tests from just a few drops of blood.

The company's downfall was documented in a TV series, an HBO documentary and a podcast.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Scottish Court to Rule on Bid to Force No-Confidence Vote Against Aberdeen Council Co-Leader
UK Bans Extra Charges for Seating Children Under 12 Beside Accompanying Adults
UK Introduces Vaping Duty and New Licensing Requirements
Greggs to Close Four UK Factories and Cut 740 Jobs
Hundreds of Prisoners Released Early as England and Wales Prisons Reach 98% Capacity
UK Unveils New Russia Sanctions Targeting War Funding and Shadow Fleet
Burnham Says There Are Strong Indications of Iranian Involvement in RAF Fairford Security Breach
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Raises Prospect of Reviewing Britain's Post-Brexit EU Relationship
Markets Price in Bank of England Rate Increases as Inflation Rises to 3.1%
UK Borrowing Costs Climb Toward 5.5% as Global Bond Sell-Off Intensifies
UK-France One-In-One-Out Migration Agreement Expires as London Seeks Alternative Measures
Southwest England Faces Flood Alerts After Heavy Autumn Storms
UK Expands Funding for Rapid Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Welsh Government Approves Funding to Upgrade South Wales Transport
Northern Ireland Tensions Rise as Orange Order Rejects Drumcree Compromise
NHS Leaders Back Early Design of Proposed National Care Service
More Than One-Third of Regional UK Universities Face Financial Deficits
UK Current Account Deficit Narrows as Cross-Border Financial Flows Remain Strong
Bank of England and FCA Issue New Rules for Stablecoins and Digital Assets
MI5 Warns UK Universities Over Research Links With Chinese Institutions
UK Energy Price Cap Rises 4% as Electricity VAT Is Temporarily Suspended
Equity Calls for UK Personality Rights to Protect Performers From AI Replication
OpenAI Pauses Advanced Model Training Following Safety Concerns
Scottish Government Proposes Replacing 32 Councils With Larger Regional Authorities
Ofgem Raises UK Household Energy Price Cap by 4% From October
UK Counter-Terrorism Police Continue Investigation After Five Arrests Near RAF Fairford
OECD Cuts UK 2027 Growth Forecast to 1%
Labour Says State Pension Triple Lock Remains Protected Through Current Parliament
Andy Burnham Pledges National Care Service With Free Social Care in England
Six Flags Permanently Shuts Landmark X2 Roller Coaster Following Safety Scandals
Metropolitan Police Rule Out Terrorism in Golders Green Stabbing Investigation
Lithium-Ion Battery Identified as Cause of Fatal Merseyside House Fire
UK Department Rejects New Sea Use Framework Due to Stakeholder Fatigue
Major Thames Water Pipe Burst Causes School Closures in London
Aldi Commits £900 Million to Expand UK Supermarket Network
Scottish Affairs Committee Warns Skills Shortages Threaten Defence Sector Expansion
Parliamentary Committee Warns Northern Ireland Budget Deadlock is Stalling Economic Growth
NHS Hospitals in England Face Severe Shortages of Essential Medications
Home Secretary Signals Major Overhaul of UK Immigration and Leave to Remain Policies
Chancellor Promises New Job Schemes Alongside Strict Fiscal Discipline
Energy Secretary Proposes Taxpayer-Funded Green Transition and National Electricity Grid
UK Government to Renationalise Avanti West Coast Railway Franchise in March
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Major Social Care and Infrastructure Reforms
Five Suspects Released on Bail Following Alleged Bomb Plot Near RAF Fairford
UK Diesel Prices Hit Record High of 199p Per Litre
Transport for Wales and Network Rail Complete Electrification of South Wales Metro
Defra Expands Incentives for Sustainable Farming and Biodiversity in England
Northern Ireland Executive Approves Funding Package to Resolve Public Sector Pay Disputes
Universities UK Warns of Financial Insolvency Risks for Higher Education Institutions
UK Prisons Activate Emergency Protocols to Manage Capacity Pressures
×