Anika Begay
Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, who was also one of the most influential early people Google employees, died at age 56, according to posts shared online by her husband Dennis Troper and Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Friday evening.
Wojicki led YouTube for nearly a decade and was one of the few women to hold the CEO role at a major Silicon Valley tech company.
Wojcicki’s husband, Dennis Troper, wrote on Facebook early Friday evening: “It is with deep sadness that I share the news of the passing of Susan Wojcicki. My beloved wife of 26 years and mother of our five children left us today after 2 years of living with non-small cell lung cancer.”
Pichai confirmed the news of his death and cancer diagnosis in a social media post on Friday, writing that he was “incredibly saddened” by the loss.
In a note to employees, Pichai described Wojcicki as “one of the most vibrant and vibrant people I have ever met. Her loss is devastating to all of us who knew and loved her, to the thousands of Googlers she mentored over the years, and to the millions of people around the world who admired her, benefited from her support and leadership, and felt the impact of the incredible things she created at Google, YouTube, and beyond.
“Susan’s journey from renting a garage to Larry and Sergey… to leading teams in consumer products and building our advertising business… to becoming CEO of YouTube, one of the world’s leading platforms, is inspiring by any measure. But she didn’t stop there. As one of the first Googlers, and the first to take maternity leave, Susan used her position to create a better workplace for everyone. And in the years since, her advocacy for parental leave has set a new standard for companies around the world. Susan was also deeply passionate about education. She realized early on that YouTube could be a learning platform for the world, and championed “edutubers,” especially those who were extending the reach of STEM education to underserved communities.”
Wojcicki, 56, joined YouTube as CEO in 2014. She stepped down from her role in February 2023, saying she would continue to work with YouTube teams, coach members and meet with creators.
She helped grow Google from its inception into a technology giant, and is credited with spearheading some of its most successful products.
She let Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin work in her Menlo Park, California, home when she founded Google. Page and Brin rented her garage for $1,700 a month. Wojcicki was working in Intel’s marketing department at the time.
After joining Google in 1999 as the company’s 16th employee, Wojcicki oversaw the design and build of Google’s advertising and analytics products for 14 years. She played a pivotal role in developing Google’s advertising business, including co-creating AdSense, one of the company’s most successful products.
In 2006, she spearheaded Google’s acquisition of YouTube, for $1.65 billion.
“The founders trust Susan more than anyone in the world, perhaps,” Patrick Keane, an early Google sales executive, said in the 2022 book “Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube’s Chaotic Rise to World Domination.” “You can never upset Susan, no matter how difficult the moment.”
“When people couldn’t get him to see reason, she could,” former Google executive and early Silicon Valley career influencer Kim Scott said in the book, calling him “a Larry whisperer,” referring to Google cofounder Larry Page.
During Wojcicki’s tenure as YouTube CEO, he oversaw the company’s rapid expansion, helping it become the world’s largest video platform. YouTube now has more than 2.5 billion monthly active users, and more than 500 hours of content are uploaded to the platform every minute, according to the company.
The announcement of his death prompted an outpouring of condolences Friday night from a wide range of technology and venture capital leaders.
“I was fortunate to meet Susan 17 years ago when she was the architect of the DoubleClick acquisition,” current YouTube CEO Neal Mohan wrote in a social media post Friday night. “Her legacy lives on in everything she touched at Google and YouTube.”
“She taught me business and helped me navigate a growing and somewhat chaotic organization early in my tech career,” former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg said in a social media post. “As one of the most prominent female leaders in tech, the first to lead a major company, she was committed to expanding opportunities for women across Silicon Valley. I don’t think my career would be where it is today without her unwavering support.”
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my dear colleague and friend @SusanWojcicki,” Jeff Dean, Google’s chief scientist, wrote on social media Friday night. “She had a profound influence on everyone at Google and impacted the lives of so many.”
