In her genes? The woman who is giving DNA analysis a reboot

After paying $305m, Anne Wojcicki is back at the helm of 23andMe - the genetic data company she cofounded, ran, then left bankrupt. Can she convince the doubters who say she can't lead the business into its new, nonprofit phase?

- Matthew Bishop reports

An improbable comeback by Anne Wojcicki is the latest twist in one of Silicon Valley's greatest rise and fall sagas. The cofounder of 23andMe confirmed this week she has (re)acquired the bankrupt genetic data company she cofounded and ran, ultimately, into the ground. After winning a bidding fight, she is paying $305m to retain control of a business integral to her personal brand.

23andMe, which famously launched at celebrity "spit parties" where guests provided their saliva for DNA testing, will now operate under Wojcicki's new nonprofit organisation, the TTAM Research Institute. "The opportunity to give back to society with our research and help everyone benefit from learning about their genome with a healthier life, is a personal mission", she posted on X.

Wojcicki's determination to return to the helm of 23andMe required overcoming legal challenges and outbidding Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which in May had struck what it thought was a solid agreement to acquire the firm for $256m, only for bankruptcy officials to reopen the process after Wojcicki called it "unfair".

Yet there are many doubters still to convince as she leads the business into its next phase. What began as a modern fairytale of a nerdy romance between entrepreneurs turned sour professionally and personally, leaving damaged relationships in its wake. Is this latest nonprofit takeover an idealistic act for society, or an exercise in personal reputation management?