‘The Dropout’ follows Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) as she leaves Stanford and starts her own biotech company Theranos. Holmes decides to develop her concept for a microfluidic blood testing device and revolutionize the blood testing industry. In her search, Holmes receives support from her professor Channing Robertson. Robertson proves to be a source of confidence for Holmes, and his presence is crucial to Theranos in his early days. Therefore, viewers should be curious to learn more about Channing Robertson and what happened to him after Theranos fell out of favor. Here’s everything we know about Channing Robertson!
Who is Channing Robertson?
Channing Rex Robertson is an American professor best known as a board member of the now-defunct biotech company known as Theranos, founded by Robertson’s student, Elizabeth Holmes. Actor Bill Irwin plays Channing Robertson in ‘The Dropout’. Irwin is known for his appearances in various films and shows such as ‘Hot Shots!’, ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ and ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’. Some viewers will recognize Irwin from his role as Cary Loudermilk in the FX series ‘Legion’.
Robertson was a professor of chemical engineering at Stanford University. He received his Ph.D. under Andreas Acrivos and began working as a professor at Stanford in 1970. Robertson served as Senior Associate Dean for Faculty & Academic Affairs in Stanford’s School of Engineering. In 2002, he met Elizabeth Holmes during her freshman year in college. He encouraged Holmes to develop her idea and was a consultant to Theranos before becoming a board member in 2012. He also convinced Ian Gibbons to join Theranos.
Where is Channing Robertson now?
In 2012, Robertson became a member of the board of Theranos. He dropped out of teaching at Stanford and took on the role of professor emeritus. In 2017, Robertson was appointed co-leader of the technology advisory board of Theranos. Soon, Theranos came under intense media scrutiny and questions were raised about the company’s work ethic and claims. Robertson, however, continued to support the company’s role in developing new technology. Nevertheless, Theranos was disbanded in 2018 and Holmes became the subject of a lawsuit in which she was charged with fraud. Her trial ended in January 2022 and she is currently awaiting sentencing.
As for Robertson, he served as a witness at Holmes’ trial in 2021. However, not much is known about his life after Theranos was disbanded. According to John Carreyrou’s nonfiction book “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup,” exposing the fraudulent practices of Theranos, it was mentioned that Robertson was paid a reported $500,000 a year for his role as a consultant. Attorney Reed Kathrein, who represented the investors who sued Holmes, claimed that Robertson was hired solely to give Theranos credibility. Robertson did not respond to these claims. Not much is known about Robertson’s personal life and he prefers to stay away from the media spotlight. Currently, Robertson is a professor emeritus at Stanford and recently taught a course on Busting Energy Myths at the prestigious university.
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