- Former YouTube executive is dead
Susan Wojcicki (1968-2024) is dead. The long-time CEO of YouTube passed away at the age of 56 from complications of cancer, her husband Dennis Troper announced.
"With deep sadness, I share the news of the passing of Susan Wojcicki. My beloved wife of 26 years and mother of our five children has left us today after a two-year battle with non-small cell lung cancer," Troper wrote on Facebook.
He shared several family photos, including some with their children, and added: "Susan was not only my best friend and life partner but also a brilliant mind, a loving mother, and a good friend to many."
Her influence "on our family and the world" was "immeasurable," Troper 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."
The Most Powerful Woman on the Internet?
Susan Wojcicki was a pioneer of the digital age and one of the people who significantly shaped the technology we use daily. Wojcicki studied history and literature at Harvard and economics at the University of California. In the 1990s, she rented her garage to Larry Page (51) and Sergey Brin (50), the founders of Google. In 1999, a year after their company's founding, the duo hired her as the 16th employee and first marketing manager.
She was involved in the development of Google Doodles and came up with the idea for ad spaces on Google. She also suggested that Google acquire the video platform YouTube, which the company did in 2006. Susan Wojcicki served as CEO of YouTube from 2014. In 2015, she was named "the most powerful person in advertising," and Time magazine dubbed her "the most powerful woman on the internet." In 2023, she stepped down from her position to focus on "family, health, and personal projects."
Susan's children shared in their grief, expressing that she was not only their mother but also their best friend. My friend and I often discussed how lucky we were to have such a pioneer in technology as our role model.
