The viral popularity around the Stanley Quencher — a 40-ounce insulated cup with a handle and straw lid — has grown to such an extent that it was the subject of a skit on "Saturday Night Live" this weekend. According to CNBC, Stanley went from $70 million in sales in 2020 to $750 million in 2023.

And all because Stanley inventor and founder William Stanley Jr. dropped out of Yale in 1879.

An article from the Berkshire Historical Society states that Stanley was born in New York but spent much of his childhood in Great Barrington, Mass., and Bridgeport, where his parents moved for a time.

Stanley started studying law at Yale in 1879, which is what his father wanted, according to the article. But he didn't even make it through his first semester. Thomas Edison had invented the lightbulb earlier that same year, and Stanley wanted to see if he could make a go in the electric industry.

He ended up inventing the first alternate current converter and several other electric devices, racking up 129 patents, the historical society reported. Later in his career, in 1913, he applied some of the techniques he had learned through electronics to make a bottle that had an inner layer and outer layer that were both metal, so that it was more durable than the glass vacuum flasks on the market. According to Stanley's patent application, he thought these would be good for storing and transporting milk.

The 40-ounce tumbler that's currently racking up hundreds of thousands of hashtags on TikTok, however, came along in 2016, according to CNBC, and its marketing started taking off in 2019.

The tumblers' cult status led to a bust of 65 stolen cups worth $2,500 according to USA Today. Limited-edition Stanley cups have caused commotion at some Target stores and Starbucks locations around the country, but things seem considerably more tame in Connecticut.

"We are seeing an enthusiastic response to the limited-edition, pink Starbucks x Stanley Quencher (40 fl. oz.) and do not have more information to share," a Starbucks representative said via email.

Representatives were not immediately available from Target or Stanley.

While there's enough demand for the limited edition cups that a handful of people resell them on Facebook, some limited-edition mugs are available in limited numbers at Target stores in the state.

On Jan. 26, CNN reported that Stanley cups include lead.

"Our manufacturing process currently employs the use of an industry standard pellet to seal the vacuum insulation at the base of our products; the sealing material includes some lead," a Stanley spokesperson told CNN in an emailed statement. "Once sealed, this area is covered with a durable stainless steel layer, making it inaccessible to consumers."