Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube and one of Google’s first employees, died at the age of 56 after battling lung cancer. Wojcicki, one of the most prominent women in tech, stepped down from her role at YouTube in 2023, a position she held for nine years.

Google hired Wojcicki 1999 as its 16th employee. She worked on building the search giant’s ads business, AdSense, and Google Analytics, and was also headed several other divisions. Prior to joining Google, she rented her garage in Menlo Park, California, to Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page where they developed their search engine.

Wojcicki advocated for the $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube in 2006, and later became the platform’s CEO.

How was she involved in building YouTube?

Wojcicki grew up in Stanford and studied history, literature, and business at the University of California. By the time she started working for Google, the company had shifted from her rented garage to a more conventional office space. Her role at Google was pivotal in nurturing start-ups in the field of internet advertising.

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Even before taking the helm at YouTube, Wojcicki was involved with video sharing through the launch of Google Video in 2005. A year later, she oversaw the purchase of rival YouTube, which became a Google subsidiary.

Wojcicki was elevated to the position of senior vice president at Google in 2010, moved over to YouTube in 2014, and became the company’s CEO later that year.

As CEO, she expanded the platform’s viewership to more than 2 billion monthly active users. Even after stepping down from the lead role in early 2023, she continued to contribute to Google and Alphabet as an advisor.

Wojcicki was a strong advocate of paid parental leave. Apart from her role at Alphabet and Google, she was also known for her private real estate holding company that focused on the sustainable growth of Los Altos, California, where she lived.

How long did she battle lung cancer?

Wojcicki had been suffering from non-small cell lung cancer for two years. The news of her passing was shared by her husband, Dennis Troper, in a heartfelt post on Facebook.

“It is with profound sadness that I share the news of Susan Wojcicki’s passing. My beloved wife of 26 years and mother to our five children left us today after two 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. 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.”

Sundar Pichai, the current CEO of Google, expressed his sorrow in a post on X, formerly Twitter. In the post, Pichai wrote about the central role Wojcicki played in Google’s development, saying she had a tremendous impact on the world and the people associated with Google.

Social media users also marked her passing, with many sharing tributes and condolences along with acknowledgements of her contributions.