"The Dropout" Is An Incredibly Wild Tale, But The Real Story Might Be Even Stranger

    Yes, Elizabeth Holmes really did talk with that deep of a voice.

    Andria Moore
    by Andria Moore

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Warning: This post contains brief mentions of suicide and sexual assault.

    Watching someone rise to the very top and then fall all the way to the bottom in the most dramatic way possible makes for great television — which is why The Dropout is so addictive.

    Hulu / Via giphy.com

    But learning that almost all of the major events from the show are true, is even juicier.

    Hulu / Via giphy.com

    I almost can't believe it. 

    Here are 15 of the wildest moments from The Dropout that actually happened in real life.

    1. Elizabeth Holmes first met Sunny Balwani on a trip to China when she was only 18.

    Elizabeth and Sunny practicing Chinese
    Hulu

    Yes, as wild as it may sound, a then-teenaged Elizabeth met 37-year-old Sunny during a Chinese language exchange program. Sunny was married to Keiko Fujimoto at the time, but divorced her later that year. 

    2. Ian Gibbons really died by suicide.

    Ian Gibbons arguing with Elizabeth
    Hulu

    One of the darkest and deeply upsetting truths to come from The Dropout is the fact that chief chemist Ian Gibbons did die by suicide out of fear of having to tell the truth about Theranos in a court deposition. It's also true that Ian was fired for voicing concerns about the accuracy of the tech with multiple people — like board member Channing Robertson (the chemical engineering professor at Stanford). Just like in the show, he was fired and then rehired later that same day, but remained demoted until his death.

    3. Elizabeth Holmes was sexually assaulted as a sophomore in college.

    Elizabeth coming out of a party house bedroom after being assaulted
    Hulu

    Elizabeth was assaulted while attending a Sigma Chi frat party at Stanford. According to NPR, Sigma Chi had a history of sexual assault allegations. Elizabeth reported the incident in October of 2003 — five months before she dropped out of college. 

    4. Elizabeth's former Stanford professor was one of the first to report her fraud.

    Stanford Professor looking critically at Elizabeth
    Hulu

    While the exact conversations a college-aged Elizabeth had with Stanford medical professor Dr. Phyllis Gardner may not be exact, they are pretty close. It's true that Elizabeth did approach Dr. Gardner early on in her schooling about an idea for a skin patch that could deploy antibiotics. Gardner shut her down at the time, explaining why the patch wouldn't work. It's also true that Richard Fuisz called Gardner to ask for her opinion on Elizabeth. "I don't trust her," Gardner told him at the time. "I don't know what she's up to."

    5. Don Lucas — the cowboy-like venture capitalist — was actually that rich, and invested in Theranos, and served on the board for years.

    Don Lucas wearing a cowboy hat and listening intently to Elizabeth
    Hulu

    Yes, it's true that a 19-year-old Elizabeth was able to fool one of the richest venture capitalists in the US into believing she had life-saving technology. What the show doesn't point out, is that she only got the meeting because of her very well-connected father. 

    6. Yes, Elizabeth Holmes really did talk with that deep of a voice.

    Elizabeth standing up in front of everyone
    Hulu

    Although it's never been officially confirmed by Elizabeth, it's a widely held belief that Elizabeth did indeed lower her voice to a deep baritone in social settings and meetings.

    7. Sunny Balwani really did follow the Walgreens lab consultant to the bathroom.

    Sunny following Kevin to the bathroom to keep an eye on him
    Hulu

    In the show, Walgreens hires a lab consultant Kevin Hunter (Rich Sommer) to confirm the accuracy of the Theranos technology. The meeting is super awkward because Sunny and Elizabeth use every excuse under the sun to dissuade Kevin from sneaking off to look at Theranos' labs, including Sunny literally following him to the bathroom. Apparently, that incident as well as the secret sushi lunch are based on real events.

    8. Elizabeth Holmes was truly obsessed with Steve Jobs.

    Elizabeth standing in front of the mirror wearing all black
    Hulu

    Yup, that part is real. Elizabeth almost always wore a black turtle neck, or all black attire, and strove to emulate Steve in all aspects of her professional life. She even referred to the Theranos technology as the "iPod of healthcare." 

    9. The green juice obsession is real.

    Elizabeth drinking green juice obsessively
    Hulu

    Unfortunately, Sunny was actually a very emotionally manipulative and abusive boyfriend to Elizabeth. She stated in her testimony that he obsessively controlled her diet, business decisions, and clothing, and wanted her to consistently drink green juice. "He told me that I didn't know what I was doing in business, that my convictions were wrong, that he was astonished at my mediocrity, and if I followed my instincts, I was going to fail," she said in her testimony.

    10. Elizabeth did successfully fool Walgreens.

    The Walgreens executives looking confused after they lost a deal
    Hulu

    Dr. Jay Rosen, the Walgreens executive who was obsessed with Elizabeth and believed wholeheartedly in her vision, was a real life person. I cannot speak for the accuracy of his personality, but he did believe so deeply in Theranos that he had several Walgreens stores across the country install the technology.

    11. Elizabeth Holmes's brother, Christian, did also work for Theranos.

    Elizabeth with her family at Christmas
    Hulu

    Christian was hired in a senior management role (nepotism at its finest).

    12. Richard Fuisz did actually live next door to Elizabeth when she was a child.

    Richard looking critically at young Elizabeth
    Hulu

    Not only did he actually live next door to her, but all the stuff in the show about he and his wife, Lorraine, helping Elizabeth's family when her father lost his job was true. Richard offered up one of his extra homes in Virginia to Elizabeth's parents.

    13. Elizabeth did actually drop out of Stanford at only 19.

    Elizabeth tearing up while talking to her mom
    Hulu

    It's almost sad to think what she might have achieved had she just stayed in school two more years. 

    14. Former Secretary of State George Shultz did actually serve on the Theranos board.

    George Shultz talking to Elizabeth about Theranos
    Hulu

    George was obviously crucial in bringing some of the highest-profiled names in the world of science and technology to the Theranos board, as well as serving on the board himself. He initially refused to believe the allegations that Theranos was a scam. 

    15. And he did have a grandson named Tyler who joined the company through the recommendation of his grandfather.

    Tyler Shultz asking Elizabeth for a job
    Hulu

    It's true that Tyler Shultz obtained a job at Theranos through his grandfather. Although, his involvement in the company later backfired for everyone when he became one of the original whistleblowers to call out Elizabeth and Sunny for their fraud.

    This post has been updated per BuzzFeed's editorial guidelines.