How did a German math genius get drawn into a cult?'s primary photo
  • NBC News How did a German math genius get drawn into a cult?
  • TV Episode | News

NBC News

How did a German math genius get drawn into a cult?
TV Episode | News
Ophelia Bauckholt was living her best life in spring 2023. A math whiz from Germany, Bauckholt, then 26, was making more than a half-million dollars at a New York City trading firm and juggling a bustling social calendar. Her apartment in ...See moreOphelia Bauckholt was living her best life in spring 2023. A math whiz from Germany, Bauckholt, then 26, was making more than a half-million dollars at a New York City trading firm and juggling a bustling social calendar. Her apartment in Jersey City, New Jersey, was the gathering place for her network of friends, most of whom were highly educated transgender women like her. But over the next few months, things turned dark. Bauckholt began to retreat from her friends and talk on the phone for long periods of time to people she wouldn't identify. She started taking frequent weekend flights to places she wouldn't talk about. And then, in November 2023, she hopped on a flight out of Newark Liberty International Airport and cut off all contact with her friends, leaving them with no idea where she had gone. Bauckholt, who transitioned to female after college, is referred to in court documents by her birth name, Felix. Written by NBC News See less
Read more: Plot summary
Writer
Rich Shapiro (staff writer)
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Feb 8, 2025
Release date
Feb 8, 2025 (United States)
Awards
Series awards
1 win

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Cast

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5 cast members
Name Known for
Ophelia Bauckholt primary photo
Ophelia Bauckholt
Self Self   See fewer
KRON 4 (Clips) (2012)
Astra Kolomatskaia primary photo
Astra Kolomatskaia
Self Self   See fewer
Jack Lasota primary photo
Jack Lasota
Self - Zizian Cult leader Self - Zizian Cult leader   See fewer
KRON 4 (Clips) (2012)
Teresa Youngblut primary photo
Teresa Youngblut
Self - Zizian Self - Zizian   See fewer
KRON 4 (Clips) (2012)
Michelle Zajko primary photo
Michelle Zajko
Self - Zizian Self - Zizian   See fewer
KRON 4 (Clips) (2012)
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