Listen "Extra: Why Is 23andMe Going Under? (Update)"
Episode Synopsis
Five years ago, we published an episode about the boom in home DNA testing kits, focusing on the high-flying firm 23andMe and its C.E.O. Anne Wojcicki. Their flight has been extremely bumpy since then. This update includes an additional interview with the Wall Street Journal reporter who has been investigating the firm’s collapse. SOURCES:Rolfe Winkler, reporter at The Wall Street Journal.Anne Wojcicki, co-founder and C.E.O. of 23andMe. RESOURCES:"23andMe’s Fall From $6 Billion to Nearly $0," by Rolfe Winkler (The Wall Street Journal, 2024)."23andMe User Data Stolen in Targeted Attack on Ashkenazi Jews," by Lily Hay Newman (Wired, 2023).Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love, by Dani Shapiro (2019).How To Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results, by Esther Wojcicki (2019).“Diet and exercise changes following direct-to-consumer personal genomic testing,” by Daiva Elena Nielsen, Deanna Alexis Carere, Catharine Wang, J. Scott Roberts, and Robert C. Green (BMC Medical Genomics, 2016).“The impact of communicating genetic risks of disease on risk-reducing health behaviour: systematic review with meta-analysis,” Gareth J Hollands, David P. French, Simon J. Griffin, A. Toby Prevost, Stephen Sutton, Sarah King, Theresa M. Marteau (The British Medical Journal, 2016). EXTRAS:"Does Your DNA Determine Your Weight?" by No Stupid Questions (2023)."What’s Stopping Us From Curing Rare Diseases?" by Freakonomics, M.D. (2023)."We Can Play God Now," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Susan Wojcicki: 'Hey, Let’s Go Buy YouTube!'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
More episodes of the podcast Freakonomics Radio
652. Inside the Horse-Industrial Complex
07/11/2025
651. The Ultimate Dance Partner
31/10/2025
Are Two C.E.O.s Better Than One? (Update)
29/10/2025
650. The Doctor Won’t See You Now
24/10/2025
A Question-Asker Becomes a Question-Answerer
17/10/2025
648. The Merger You Never Knew You Wanted
03/10/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.