12:32 PM PT -- It's the end of the road for Elizabeth Holmes now that she's behind bars, and one of the reporters who covered her rise and fall at Theranos has some strong thoughts on her saga.
Ken Auletta, who first profiled Elizabeth for the New Yorker way back in 2014 when she was just getting her company started, joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and told us why he hopes her story sparks change in Silicon Valley.
What's more, Ken thinks Elizabeth tried to use her young children to get a lighter sentence ... calling her a "very self-centered individual" and questioning her decision to have kids despite knowing she would be in prison for a good chunk of their early lives.
Elizabeth Holmes has traded in her customary black turtlenecks for prison fatigues ... 'cause she just surrendered to authorities at a federal lockup.
The disgraced former Theranos CEO arrived Tuesday at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, where she will serve her 11-year sentence after her 2022 conviction on four counts of wire fraud and conspiracy resulting from her phony blood testing scheme. She made several requests to stay free while appealing her conviction, but the judge denied her each time.
During her incarceration, Holmes will be far apart from her family ... making the prison experience that much harder.
'RHOSLC' Star Jen Shah Fears for Her Safety After Prison Photos Leak
Her husband, William Evans, lives in California with their 1-year-old son and 3-month-old daughter, which could make visiting Holmes a challenge.
On the flip side, Holmes will be in close proximity to another familiar face ... "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah is serving her 6.5-year sentence at the same facility for running a fraudulent telemarketing enterprise. The two will have plenty of time to get to know each other.
As we reported, Holmes was indicted for telling investors her company -- Theranos -- created a one-of-a-kind machine to streamline a full range of clinical tests using blood samples. But, her promise of conducting cheaper and easier blood testing was all just a ruse to get her investors to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars. A judge has ordered Holmes to pay $452 million in restitution to the victims of her scam.
Originally Published -- 10:42 AM PT