Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes is an American former biotechnology entrepreneur and the founder and former chief executive of Theranos.

Elizabeth Holmes is an American former biotechnology entrepreneur and the founder and former chief executive of Theranos. She was convicted of fraud in 2022 for misleading investors about Theranos and sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison in 2022. Her case became one of the best-known corporate fraud scandals in the technology and health-care sectors.

Early life and education

Elizabeth Holmes was born in 1984 and later attended Stanford University before dropping out to found Theranos. Reports commonly describe her as a prominent Silicon Valley startup founder prior to the company's collapse.

Theranos

Holmes founded Theranos as a private health-care and life-sciences company that said it would revolutionize blood testing. The company rose to high valuation before questions emerged about whether its technology worked as advertised.

Criminal case and conviction

Federal prosecutors charged Holmes in 2018 with fraud schemes involving investors and patients. In 2022, a jury found her guilty on four investor-related counts, and she was later sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.

Appeals and aftermath

Holmes pursued appeals after her conviction, but reporting in 2025 said a federal panel denied further review. Her case remains a prominent example of corporate and startup fraud in U.S. business history.