If you loved
The Dropout
ABC News · Podcast · 2026
What hooked you in The Dropout is the way high-stakes ambition creates a collision course between personal hubris and the collapse of powerful institutions.
Books on the same thread
The Best and the Brightest
David Halberstam · Book · 2002
Explores: Hubris, Foreign Policy Blunders, Groupthink.
Just as The Dropout exposes the catastrophic failure of Theranos, this masterwork reveals how systemic groupthink and unbridled hubris led to the tragic escalation of the Vietnam War.
An Unfinished Life
Robert Dallek · Book · 2003
Explores: Political Dynasties, Cold War Geopolitics, Private Life of Public Figures.
If you were captivated by the private deceptions in The Dropout, you will find similar intrigue in this examination of how public myth-making obscures the complex reality of political figures.
Joe Biden
Evan Osnos · Book · 2020
Explores: Political resilience, Personal tragedy and public service, Lifelong political ambition.
The Dropout explores the cost of relentless ambition, and this biography provides a parallel study of the endurance required to maintain a lifelong pursuit of power within the political establishment.
Seventeen Seventy-six
David McCullough · Book · 2005
Explores: Leadership under pressure, The American Revolutionary War, Founding Fathers.
While The Dropout chronicles a modern downfall, this narrative offers a high-stakes look at leadership under extreme pressure, showing how pivotal figures navigate the chaos of their own making.
Films on the same thread
1776
Peter H. Hunt · Film · 1972
Explores: Founding Fathers, Political deliberation, Revolutionary fervor.
Much like the tense boardrooms of The Dropout, this drama captures the friction of high-stakes negotiations where personal legacies and national futures collide under the weight of intense expectation.
Series on the same thread
Washington
Matthew Ginsburg · Series · 2020
Explores: Leadership and Sacrifice, Statecraft and Nation-Building, Reluctant Heroism.
Where The Dropout dissects the corruption of a visionary, this series examines the burden of leadership and the personal sacrifice required to shape a narrative that changes the entire world.
Reconstruction: America After the Civil War
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. · Series · 2019
Explores: Racial Justice, Democracy and Governance, Systemic Inequality.
The Dropout highlights how institutional failure impacts society, a theme echoed here as you witness the struggle to rebuild a nation after the systemic collapse of its existing social order.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Dropout based on a true story?
Yes, The Dropout is an ABC News podcast that documents the true story of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos. It explores the rise and fall of the world's youngest self-made female billionaire and the subsequent criminal charges she faced following the company's collapse.
What is the central subject of The Dropout?
The Dropout focuses on the story of Elizabeth Holmes and the company Theranos. The podcast examines how her extreme ambition and fame resulted in deception and tragedy, ultimately leading to her facing criminal charges and a potential multi-decade prison sentence after the company failed.
Why did Elizabeth Holmes face criminal charges in The Dropout?
In The Dropout, Elizabeth Holmes faces criminal charges after the collapse of her company, Theranos. The podcast details how the woman once heralded as the next Steve Jobs transitioned from being a self-made billionaire to a defendant facing the possibility of spending decades in prison.
Does The Dropout cover the downfall of Theranos?
Yes, The Dropout covers the downfall of Theranos by detailing how Elizabeth Holmes lost everything in the blink of an eye. The podcast explores the deception involved in the company's operations and how the situation spiraled from immense ambition into tragedy and criminal legal action.