Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of failed blood-testing startup Theranos, has asked US President Donald Trump to release her from prison early, according to a request filed last year with the Department of Justice, news outlets reported Thursday.

She has six years left in her 11-year sentence for fraud and conspiracy that came after she made false claims about Theranos's blood-testing technology.

Holmes reported to federal prison in May 2023 in Bryan, Texas. 

What to know about Theranos fraud

Holmes, now 41, was convicted on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy in 2022.

She claimed her startup Theranos —  which she founded at the age of 19 — had new technology to test patients for various diseases with only a few drops of blood.

With revolutionary blood tests at the heart of her pitch, Holmes attracted top private investors like media mogul Rupert Murdoch, software magnate Larry Ellison and pharmacy store chain Walgreens.

In 2014, Holmes' net worth was estimated at $4.5 billion (€3.8 billion).

Investigation exposes fraud 

A Wall Street Journal investigation in 2015 uncovered that the much-hyped technology did not exist and that patients may have received inaccurate results.

The probe triggered the collapse of Theranos, and Holmes was indicted on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud in 2018.

Once labelled America's richest self-made woman by Forbes magazine, Holmes' rise and collapse has been dissected in an HBO documentary and an award-winning Hulu series.

If released early from prison, she would still owe $452 million (€386 million) in restitution. The restitution would be waived if she receives a pardon from Trump.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar