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Apr 2024
1h 2m

Extra: Why Is 23andMe Going Under? (Upda...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode
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. 
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