You’ve probably seen the commercials with the leaf icons or maybe you’ve even spat into a plastic tube to see if you’re actually 10% Scandinavian like your grandma claimed. It’s a massive business. But behind the family trees and the DNA kits, there’s a complex web of high-stakes finance. Honestly, the question of who owns Ancestry.com isn't just about one person in a suit; it’s about some of the most powerful investment firms on the planet.
Since December 2020, the majority owner of Ancestry.com has been Blackstone Inc. (formerly The Blackstone Group).
They aren't just "investors." They are the world’s largest alternative asset manager. They bought a roughly 75% stake in the company for a staggering $4.7 billion. If you’re keeping score, that includes a whole lot of debt and a mountain of expectations.
But Blackstone doesn't own the whole pie. The other 25%? That belongs to GIC, which is Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund. They’ve been hanging around since 2012 and decided to stick with the company even when the previous majority owners—firms like Silver Lake and Permira—cashed out and walked away.
Why Blackstone Spent Billions on Your Family Tree
Private equity firms like Blackstone don't buy companies because they love genealogy. They buy them because they see "significant runway for growth," as David Kestnbaum, a senior managing director at Blackstone, put it when the deal closed.
Basically, they saw a company with over 3 million paying subscribers and a DNA database that had already cracked 18 million people (that number is much higher now, likely over 25 million). They aren't just selling a hobby. They're selling data, identity, and a recurring subscription model that is incredibly hard for people to cancel once they’ve spent hundreds of hours building a digital family tree.
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The ownership structure looks something like this:
- Blackstone Inc.: The heavy hitter with the majority control.
- GIC (Singapore): The long-term partner holding a significant minority stake.
- The Management Team: While the equity is mostly held by the big firms, the people running the show day-to-day have a huge say in the direction.
The New Boss in Lehi
Things at the top changed recently. For a few years, Deborah Liu (formerly of Facebook) was the CEO. She was the one who really pushed the company into more mobile-friendly territory.
However, as of February 1, 2025, the leadership shifted. Howard Hochhauser, who had been the CFO and COO for over 16 years, stepped up as the new President and CEO. This was a "promote from within" move that signaled stability to the folks at Blackstone. If you’ve been at a company for 16 years, you know where all the skeletons (and the genealogical records) are buried.
The Privacy Elephant in the Room
Whenever a private equity giant like Blackstone takes over a company that holds the genetic blueprints of millions, people get nervous. It makes sense. You’re handing over your most personal data to a firm that also owns massive stakes in real estate, insurance, and healthcare.
The fear is that they’ll "splicing together" DNA data with other consumer behavior data.
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To be fair, both Ancestry and Blackstone have been very vocal about this. A spokesperson for Blackstone has stated they "do not have access to user DNA and family tree data." The company operates under a strict privacy policy that claims your genetic info won't be shared with insurers or employers.
But here’s the kicker: Ancestry isn't covered by HIPAA. That’s the federal law that protects your medical records at the doctor’s office. Instead, your privacy is largely governed by the company’s own terms of service. If those terms change, your "ownership" of your data might feel a lot more fragile.
A Quick History of Who Owns Ancestry.com
Ancestry didn't start in a high-rise. It started in 1983 as Ancestry Publishing, a small outfit in Utah founded by Paul Brent Allen and Dan Taggart. They were just publishing genealogy magazines and books.
Then the internet happened.
- 1996: They launched Ancestry.com.
- 2007: Spectrum Equity stepped in and took a majority stake.
- 2009: The company actually went public (ACOM). It lived on the NASDAQ for a few years.
- 2012: The private equity firm Permira led a $1.6 billion buyout to take it private again. This is when GIC first got involved.
- 2016: Silver Lake and GIC took over the majority, valuing the company at $2.6 billion.
- 2020: Blackstone enters the chat with their $4.7 billion deal.
It’s been a game of hot potato among the world’s wealthiest investment groups. Each time it changes hands, the price tag goes up. This tells you that despite the "DNA fatigue" some experts predicted, the business of finding out who your great-great-grandfather was is still a gold mine.
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What This Ownership Means for You
If you’re a user, the Blackstone ownership mostly means more "product innovation." In plain English? More features behind a paywall and more attempts to get you to buy "ProGenealogist" services or specialized DNA traits.
Blackstone is also pushing Ancestry into the "personalized preventive health" space. They want to move beyond just telling you that you’re 4% Irish and start telling you about your genetic predispositions for certain health conditions. This is where the real money—and the real privacy concerns—live.
Actionable Steps for Ancestry Users
If you are worried about the fact that a $500+ billion investment firm holds your genetic data, you aren't stuck. You have options to manage your footprint:
- Download your raw DNA data: You can go into your settings and export your DNA file. This lets you keep a copy of your own genetic code.
- Delete your DNA test results: You can request that Ancestry delete your DNA data and destroy your physical sample at any time. This doesn't delete your family tree, just the genetic link.
- Set your tree to private: If you don't want the "big data" machine to easily scan your family history, make sure your tree isn't public.
- Review the Privacy Center regularly: Ownership changes often lead to quiet updates in terms and conditions. Check the "Last Updated" date on their privacy page at least once a year.
The bottom line is that Ancestry.com is a private company owned by Blackstone and GIC. They are in the business of making money, and your data is the product that makes that happen. Stay informed, check your privacy settings, and remember that in the world of private equity, you’re the one providing the value.
To stay on top of your digital legacy, go to your Ancestry "Account Settings" today and verify your "DNA Privacy" preferences. Make sure you've opted out of "Research Projects" if you don't want your anonymized data used in broad scientific studies funded by third parties.