Jen Shah and her prison buddy Elizabeth Holmes’ friendship is now out in the open.
Last year, the world heard that Jen Shah is teaching ab workouts to Elizabeth Holmes in prison.
The jokes about the fraud-for-fraud friendship immediately cropped up. But not everyone felt convinced that the two were actually hanging out.
No more doubts. Shah and Holmes seem to be prison pals, and there are photos to prove it.
Elizabeth Holmes and Jen Shah seem to be prison besties
As we have previously reported, disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City alum Jen Shah have been serving their prison sentences at the same facility.
On Sunday, February 4, The Daily Mail reported that Shah and Holmes were chatting openly, in a friendly manner.
This was just ahead of visiting hours. Holmes was anticipating the arrival of her husband, parents, and both small children — to celebrate her 40th birthday.
Jen Shah is serving out a six year prison sentence. Elizabeth Holmes’ sentence is for 11 years.
The two have a lot in common. Both are mothers, both are predatory fraudsters, and both were famous even before their crimes came to light.
Apparently, all of that — and perhaps more — has been the foundation of their carceral friendship.
Both Jen Shah and Elizabeth Holmes have had major downgrades
In addition to other things in common, Shah and Holmes were both wealthy. (That status is firmly in the past tense for Holmes, whose current net worth estimate is zero dollars)
Now that they are both serving their sentences at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas, their lifestyles have plummeted.
The women now share four-person rooms with other inmates, sleeping in bunk beds. They live in a dehumanizing environment where almost every aspect of their lives is no longer under their control.
Infamously, Shah defrauded thousands of people — predominantly the elderly — through a sinister telemarketing scam.
She has been in prison for about a year, after reporting in February 2023. Shah did, eventually, enter a guilty plea.
Shah must repay $6,500,000 and surrender dozens of luxury items. They were, by extension, ill-gotten gains.
Elizabeth Holmes’ fraud was an even larger enterprise
Holmes’ company, Theranos, made false claims to investors. Her blood-testing machine did not really work, and it was an elaborate con that had her estimated net worth in the billions — at one point.
One might argue that defrauding wealthy investors is a victimless crime. But this is not a hustle that one can respect.
Theranos’ big product was a faulty blood test. Cancer patients, HIV patients, people who received false positives, and more — all of them suffered needlessly as part of an elaborate con.
In prison, Jen Shah has reportedly been making herself a role model and fitness instructor for her fellow inmates.
She has workout classes. Allegedly, Holmes participates in these sessions pretty regularly.
Shah may be keeping herself busy. Or maybe she’s hoping that her good behavior behind bars will pay off.
We have to emphasize that most of what we’ve heard about Jen Shah in prison has come by way of her representative. That is never a neutral party.
It is possible that Shah’s non-wealthy, non-famous cellmates might give a different description of her activities. We don’t know, because they don’t have reps to speak for them.