Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has died of cancer at the age of 56, her husband Dennis Troper and Google CEO Sundar Pichai said on social media posts on Friday night.
Wojcicki had been fighting an non-small cell lung cancer for the past two years.
“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 in a post on Facebook. "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 as we navigate this difficult time.”
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Non-small cell cancer is one of two primary forms of lung cancer and is often diagnosed late, according to the Yale School of Medicine. Symptoms are often mistaken with common illness and when people are diagnosed the disease has typically reached an advanced sage, per the university.
Upon hearing the news, Pichai took to X and posted his condolences.
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
"Unbelievably saddened by the loss of my dear friend Susan Wojcicki after two years of living with cancer," he wrote. "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. We will miss her dearly. Our thoughts with her family. RIP Susan."
Wojcicki was among the first 20 employees at Google, which acquired YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion. She became involved with the company when she rented the garage to her Menlo Park home to Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who at the time were Ph.D. students at Stanford University.
Wojcicki took over as YouTube CEO in 2014 and steered the company for nine years.
Under her leadership, the company became a valuable asset for Google, helping generate billions. In 2023, YouTube reported $8.1 billion in revenue through ad sales, which was equivalent to 10% of Alphabet’s total revenue.
Wojcicki stepped down in 2023 to "start a new chapter focused on my family, health and personal projects I’m passionate about.”
Wojcicki’s family also has deep Silicon Valley ties.
One of Wojcicki's sisters is a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. Her other sister is Anne Wojcicki. CEO of 23andMe.
Most recently, Wojcicki and Troper's son attended the University of California, Berkeley. However, news broke last February that he died of an overdose in his freshman dorm room.
At the time Esther Wojcicki, the boy's grandmother, wrote a statement on behalf of the family.
“Tragedy hit my family yesterday. My beloved grandson Marco Troper, age 19 passed away yesterday," she wrote. "Our family is devastated beyond comprehension. Marco was the most kind, loving, smart, fun and beautiful human being. He was just getting started on his second semester of his freshman year at UC Berkeley majoring in math and was truly loving it. He had a strong community of friends from his dorm at Stern Hall and his fraternity Zeta Psi and was thriving academically. At home, he would tell us endless stories of his life and friends at Berkeley.”
