Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube, died “after two years of living with cancer,” Alphabet CEO Sunder Pichai wrote on X, adding that he was “unbelievably saddened by the loss.” She was 56.
“She is as core to the history of Google as anyone, and it’s hard to imagine the world without her,” Pichai continued. “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 with her family. RIP Susan.”
Wojcicki is survived by her mother, journalist and educator Esther Wojcicki; her sisters, Janet, an anthropologist and epidemiologist, and Anne, the cofounder and CEO of 23andMe; her husband, Dennis Troper, and their four living children.
Wojcicki was predeceased by her father, Polish American physicist Stanley Wojcicki, and her son Marco, who died in February of this year. He was 19 years old.
Wojcicki married Troper in 1998.
On Facebook, Troper wrote on Friday night: “My beloved wife of 26 years and mother to our five children left us today after 2 years of living with non small cell lung cancer.”
“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.
Many prominent tech figures have also paid tribute to the late executive.
Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, described Wojcicki in a post on X as “a trailblazer in the industry, an exemplary mother, and a cherished friend.”
“Her kind heart, wise counsel, and philanthropic spirit touched countless lives,” he wrote.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said he was “saddened” to hear the news, adding that Wojcicki “was one of Silicon Valley’s visionaries.”
“She will be missed by so many. May she rest in peace,” he wrote on X.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote in another post on X: “Rest in peace. Especially tragic to see such an early death.”
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Wojcicki began working at Google in 1999 and served as CEO of YouTube from 2014 until 2023.
Before joining Google, she provided the garage space where the company was founded in 1998.
During her time with the company, Wojcicki played a key role in developing its advertising business, helping create AdSense and working on the deal to acquire DoubleClick.
At YouTube, which was acquired by Google in 2006, Wojcicki oversaw the site as it became the web’s most popular video service.
Wojcicki announced in 2023 that she was stepping down from her role as YouTube’s CEO to “start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about.”
Representatives for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
