By Jonathan Stempel
June 11 (Reuters) - Victims of a 2023 data breach at 23andMe will share $46.75 million under a plan approved by the genetic testing company's bankruptcy administrator, a court filing shows.
In a Wednesday night filing in St. Louis bankruptcy court, the administrator said the payout is $3.25 million below the maximum authorized in January by the judge overseeing 23andMe's Chapter 11 case. It called the payout an "equitable outcome" that avoids further litigation and reflects the company's
financial condition.
Court approval is required. The amount will be reduced by $14.29 million previously disbursed in connection with the breach, making the total additional payout $32.46 million, the administrator said.
The data breach at 23andMe exposed genetic and other personal information of an estimated 6.9 million U.S. customers. More than 255,860 claims have been resolved, with thousands still pending, the bankruptcy administrator said.
• Based in Palo Alto, California, 23andMe filed for protection from creditors in March 2025, citing the data breach and related litigation, as well as increased competition and falling demand for genetic testing products.
• Last July, TTAM Research Institute, a nonprofit controlled by 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki, bought 23andMe's assets for $305 million.
• The company is still defending against a related lawsuit filed last month by California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a state court.
• Bonta said 23andMe ignored warnings that its systems were compromised and downplayed the breach's severity. He is seeking potentially millions of dollars in civil fines.
• The bankruptcy judge, Brian Walsh, has not decided whether California can pursue its case. He had approved a $30 million to $50 million fund for data breach victims in January.
• The legal name of 23andMe is now Chrome Holding Co.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
