Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube and a trailblazing figure in Silicon Valley, has died at the age of 56 after a two-year battle with non-small cell lung cancer. Her passing was announced on Friday by her husband, Dennis Troper.
Wojcicki, one of the most influential women in the technology sector, played a significant role in Google’s early success and became one of the few female executives to lead a major tech company. Her husband, Dennis Troper, shared the news of her death 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 after 2 years of living with non-small cell lung cancer.”
Sundar Pichai, in his tribute posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), expressed deep sorrow over Wojcicki’s passing, highlighting her foundational role in Google’s history.
From Google’s Early Days to Leading YouTube
Wojcicki’s journey in Silicon Valley began when she joined Google in 1999 as its 16th employee. At the time, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were renting the garage of her Menlo Park home for $1,700 a month to use as their office. Before joining Google, Wojcicki had worked at Intel and Bain & Company.
Wojcicki’s impact on Google was profound. She was instrumental in the creation of AdSense, Google’s advertising product that became a cornerstone of the company’s revenue model. In 2007, she played a key role in Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick, a pivotal move that bolstered Google’s dominance in digital advertising—a sector that has since drawn scrutiny from regulators, including an ongoing antitrust lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice.
In 2011, Wojcicki was credited with personally convincing Google’s board to acquire YouTube for $1.65 billion, a decision that transformed YouTube into the world’s leading video-sharing platform. Under her leadership as CEO, a position she held from February 2014 until February 2023, YouTube grew into a global phenomenon with over 2.5 billion monthly active users and became a central hub for the rise of a new generation of celebrities and influencers.
A Legacy of Advocacy and Innovation
Wojcicki stepped down from her role as CEO of YouTube in February 2023, citing a desire to focus on her family, health, and personal projects. In her departure announcement, she described the decision as one of the best of her life. Despite stepping down, she continued to work closely with YouTube, coaching team members and meeting with content creators.
In a public memo sent by Pichai, he highlighted that her contributions to the tech world extend beyond her work at Google and YouTube. Wojcicki was known for her advocacy for workplace reforms, particularly in the areas of parental leave and education. As one of the earliest employees at Google and the first to take maternity leave, she helped establish new standards for parental leave that influenced policies across the tech industry.
She was also deeply passionate about education and recognized the potential of YouTube as a global learning platform, particularly for underserved communities. She championed educational content creators, known as “edutubers,” who focused on extending STEM education to a broader audience.
The news of Wojcicki’s death has led to an outpouring of grief and tributes from tech leaders and industry peers.
Neal Mohan, the current CEO of YouTube, credited her with shaping the company’s future and described her legacy as one that lives on in everything she touched at Google and YouTube. Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta, reflected on how Wojcicki had mentored her and supported women in tech, emphasizing that her career might not have reached the heights it did without Wojcicki’s unwavering support. Google’s chief scientist, Jeff Dean, also paid tribute to her, stating that she had a profound influence on everyone at Google and touched the lives of many.
Wojcicki’s death marks the loss of a pioneering figure in the tech industry, whose influence and leadership have left an indelible mark on Google, YouTube, and the broader tech world.
Featured Image courtesy of Eric Gaillard/REUTERS
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