Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki died Friday at age 56, two years after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
Dennis Troper, Wojcicki’s husband, announced his wife’s death Friday in a heartfelt Facebook post.
“It is with profound sadness that I share the news of Susan Wojcicki passing. My beloved wife of 26 years and mother to our five children left us today. Susan was not just my best friend and partner in life, but a brilliant mind, a loving mother, and a dear friend to many,” Troper wrote.
“Her impact on our family and the world was immeasurable,” the former YouTube CEO’s husband continued. “We are heartbroken, but grateful for the time we had with her. Please keep our family in your thoughts as we navigate this difficult time.”
Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki died at age 56, her husband announced Friday. pic.twitter.com/AXuFPvaMaC
— Julianna Frieman (@JuliannaFrieman) August 10, 2024
Google CEO Sundar Pichai took to social media to tribute Wojcicki, who he said was integral to Google’s history. Wojcicki joined Google in 1999 as one of the company’s first employees, according to NBC News.
“Unbelievably saddened by the loss of my dear friend @susanwojcicki after two years of living with cancer,” Pichai wrote on X. “She is as core to the history of Google as anyone, and it’s hard to imagine the world without her.”
“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,” he continued. “We will miss her dearly. Our thoughts with her family. RIP Susan.”
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. She was an incredible person, leader and friend who had a tremendous…
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) August 10, 2024
In 2006, Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion. Wojcicki jumped from her role as a senior vice president for ad products at Google to became CEO of YouTube in 2014, NBC News noted. (RELATED: Republicans Sound Off On Google, Demand Answers For Apparent ‘Censorship’ Of Trump Assassination Attempt)
Wojcicki stepped down from her role as YouTube CEO in 2023 to focus on “family, health, and personal products,” according to the outlet. She was succeeded by Neal Mohan, her deputy. Wojcicki announced July 16 that she joined the board of Planet, a satellite imaging company
“Today we @youtube lost a teammate, mentor, and friend, @susanwojcicki. I had the good fortune of meeting Susan 17 years ago when she was the architect of the DoubleClick acquisition,” Mohan wrote on X. “Her legacy lives on in everything she touched @google and @youtube. I am forever grateful for her friendship and guidance. I will miss her tremendously. My heart goes out to her family and loved ones.”
Today we @youtube lost a teammate, mentor, and friend, @SusanWojcicki. I had the good fortune of meeting Susan 17 years ago when she was the architect of the DoubleClick acquisition. Her legacy lives on in everything she touched @google and @youtube. I am
forever grateful for…— Neal Mohan (@nealmohan) August 10, 2024
Wojcicki is survived by her husband and four of her children. In February, her 19-year-old son, Marco Troper, was found dead of a drug overdose at UC Berkeley’s Clark Kerr Campus, SF Gate reported.