The Dropout is a podcast about the rise and fall of Theranos, a Silicon Valley startup that promised to revolutionize blood testing. The show is hosted by journalist Elizabeth Holmes, who first reported on the company for The Wall Street Journal.
The Dropout has been praised for its investigative journalism, but some have questioned its accuracy. Here's a look at some of the claims made in the podcast and how they stack up against the facts.
1.Elizabeth Holmes dropped out of Stanford to start Theranos
This is true. Holmes left Stanford University in 2003 after her sophomore year to launch Theranos, which she had founded with her friend and business partner, Sunny Balwani.
2. Theranos raised millions of dollars from venture capitalists early on
This is also true. In 2004, Theranos raised $6 million from Draper Fisher Jurvetson, followed by $10 million from Sequoia Capital in 2006. By 2014, the company had raised a total of $400 million from investors including Rupert Murdoch and Larry Ellison.