Susan Wojcicki, who held the position of CEO at YouTube for nine years during a significant growth period for the platform and was one of the earliest hires at Google, passed away on August 9 at the age of 56.
Her husband, Dennis Troper, announced her death following a two-year battle with cancer in a heartfelt Facebook post on Friday evening.
“It is with profound sadness that I share the news of Susan Wojcicki’s passing. My beloved wife of 26 years and mother to our five children left us today after two years of living with non-small cell lung cancer,” Troper expressed. “Susan was not just my best friend and life partner but also a brilliant mind, a loving mother, and a dear friend to many. Her impact on our family and the world was immeasurable. We are heartbroken but grateful for the time we had with her. Please keep our family in your thoughts during this difficult time.”
Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and Alphabet, shared a tribute on X, stating, “Unbelievably saddened by the loss of my dear friend @SusanWojcicki after two years of living with cancer. She is as core to the history of Google as anyone, and it’s hard to imagine the world without her.” He added, “She was an incredible person, leader, and friend who had a tremendous impact on the world, and I’m one of countless Googlers who is better for knowing her. We will miss her dearly. Our thoughts are with her family. RIP Susan.”
Wojcicki began her career at Google in 1999 as the 16th employee, becoming the first marketing executive for the search engine. The company was initially operated out of her garage in Menlo Park, California, by co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Among her notable achievements, she facilitated the first deals to license search technology and led the early development of Google’s image search.
In February 2014, Wojcicki was appointed CEO of YouTube, reflecting the platform’s growing significance to Google’s advertising revenue. She stepped down from this role in February 2023 but continued to serve as an adviser.
Neal Mohan, who took over as YouTube CEO after Wojcicki, expressed his gratitude, recalling they first met 17 years ago during the DoubleClick acquisition, where he had been an executive. “Her legacy lives on in everything she touched @google and @youtube,” Mohan remarked on X. “I am forever grateful for her friendship and guidance. I will miss her tremendously. My heart goes out to her family and loved ones.”
Throughout her tenure at Google, Wojcicki also managed various products such as AdSense, Google Book Search, and Google Video, while overseeing the syndication of Google’s offerings. Before joining Google, she worked at companies like Intel, Bain & Co., and R.B. Webber & Co.