23andMe: Spit, Scandal, and a $6 Billion Meltdown with Kevin Sullivan and Laura Peek | 88

The Big Flop

Wondery

Society & Culture, Comedy, Business

4.6 • 884 Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Celebrity spit parties, Met Gala appearances, and dreams of personalized medicine made 23andMe the hottest thing in biotech. Anne Wojcicki’s DNA tests promised to unlock the secrets of our genes – and maybe cure some diseases along the way. But when hackers exposed millions of users' genetic data, not even Richard Branson could save Anne from becoming another Silicon Valley casualty.

Kevin Sullivan and Laura Peek join Misha to understand the building blocks of 23andMe's demise.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You know what's even better than listening to the big flop?
0:03.6	Listening to the big flop without any ads.
0:06.7	With Wondery Plus, you can enjoy the floppiest of flops, completely uninterrupted.
0:12.0	It's like having a front row seat to the world's biggest train wrecks.
0:15.7	Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or in Apple Podcasts and upgrade your listening experience today.
0:26.4	Here's the thing, Besties. I'd ask you what the first thing that comes to your mind is when I say
0:36.1	celebrity spit party, but I don't want to
0:39.7	know. I've covered some truly bizarre fundraising methods and publicity stunts on this show,
0:45.6	but this one is the nastiest. Problem with 23 and me, it was such a viral sensation at one point
0:52.9	with Halloween costumes, with celebrities, Oprah herself endorsing it.
0:56.8	Your DNA is organized into 23 pairs of chromosomes, and it can tell you a lot about what makes you, you.
1:03.6	You look at me and you might think I am European, but I actually have a tiny bit of Asian.
1:07.8	DNA testing firm 23 and me filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. And now California
1:12.6	Attorney General Rob Bonta is issuing a consumer alert telling customers to delete their highly
1:18.0	sensitive genetic data. We are on a sinking ship. Whether you're starting or scaling your company's security program,
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	...

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