6.9 Million People Who Had Their DNA Leaked on 23andme Will Finally Be Paid, Totaling $46.75 Million.

The breach exposed the genetic information and personal information of 6.9 million customers back in 2023. Now a bankrupt judge has signed off on the settlement, although the $14.29 million already out means the new money coming in is $32.46 million.

US Bankruptcy Judge Brian Walsh in St. Louis ruled that the settlement was fair and just on July 7, paving the way for the money to reach the people whose information and their ancestors’ information was stolen.

The burglary was not a sophisticated burglary. The attackers used passwords leaked from other sites to log into about 14,000 accounts between April and September 2023, and extracted data from 6.9 million connected users through the DNA Relatives feature, nearly half of the customer base. The disclosed information included names, profile pictures, birth years, locations, family surnames, grandparents’ birthplaces, ethnicity estimates, haplogroups, and self-titled “About” sections. Historically Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish clients were hit equally hard, and their profiles were highlighted when the data appeared on dark web sites.

Most eligible customers receive a small cash payment, approximately $100 depending on the country, and 5 years of Privacy and Medical Protection with Genetic Monitoring, a package valued at approximately $1,875 per person. Health Information Claims pay up to $165, and Extraordinary Claims tied to documented identity theft or related injuries can go up to $10,000, with total caps. The window for filing claims has already closed.

At its peak in 2021, 23andMe was valued at $6 billion. Its assets were sold for $305 million last July to TTAM Research Institute, a nonprofit controlled by co-founder Anne Wojcicki, after the company filed for Chapter 11 in March 2025 and Wojcicki stepped down as CEO. The compensation is being paid out of the legacy of the old business, now called Chrome Holding Co., not through TTAM.

The legal crisis is not over. California Attorney General Rob Bonta is still suing, accusing the company of ignoring warnings that its systems were at risk and downplaying the severity of the breach. He warned that bankruptcy court should not be a “place for criminals,” and Judge Walsh has yet to rule on a motion to block the federal case. A separate lawsuit brought last June by 27 states and the District of Columbia challenges that 23andMe can sell customer DNA data in bankruptcy without express consent from the individual.

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