The Dropout Fact Check: Was Elizabeth Holmes Obsessed With Steve Jobs?
Hulu miniseries The Dropout, the story of the ascension and cataclysmic fall of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried), shows Holmes’ rumored obsession with the tech tycoon throughout its initial three episodes. A Stanford University dropout who founded the blood-testing company, Theranos, in 2003, Holmes became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire at age 30. As such, she was often likened to fellow Silicon Valley entrepreneur Steve Jobs. Unlike her idol, however, she subsequently lost her fortune when massive fraud by her company came to light.
Holmes’ feet were famously held to the fire after the efficacy of Theranos technology was questioned. Federal investigations concerning the defrauding of investors and patients led to criminal charges for Holmes and her former COO and romantic partner, Ramesh «Sunny» Balwani (played by Lost star Naveen Andrews). More about the company, which became defunct in 2018, was revealed in the HBO documentary The Inventor. Holmes was found guilty in federal court earlier this year on charges of defrauding investors. Her sentencing is scheduled for September 2022.
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Holmes’ fascination with Jobs is frequently depicted in the first few episodes of The Dropout. These nods to her idol range from overt (comparing her first blood testing invention to “a box the size of an iPod”) to more subtle (rubbing an iPod against her head and chest as she works). Unsurprisingly, Holmes’ emulation of her tech hero in the limited series is founded in reality.
One of the most conspicuous examples of Holmes’ fanaticism is her adoption of Jobs’ black turtleneck. Becoming Theranos’ CEO at 19, Holmes faced the seemingly
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