Susan Wojcicki was instrumental in building Google into what it is today. In deeply saddening news, the former YouTube CEO, Wojcicki, passed away on August 9 after a two-year-long battle with cancer. Many industry leaders paid their respects to her on social media, including Google and Alphabet CEO, Sundar Pichai. Her profound legacy in the tech world, marked by innovation and leadership, will be remembered by many.
Wojcicki's husband, Dennis Troper, is the one who shared the news of her passing in a heartfelt post on Facebook last night, Friday, August 9.
He wrote, ''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. 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.''
Who was Susan Wojcicki?
Susan was vital to the growth and inception of Google right from the grassroots. She first became a part of the company around 1998 after renting the garage of her California home to Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The duo was friends with Wojcicki and, at the time, were Ph.D. students at Stanford.
Soon after Google was founded, Susan joined the company as the 16th employee as its first marketing executive.
It was reportedly her idea to acquire YouTube after noticing its potential value in the platform's early days, which now is one of the major profit centres for the company. Soon after, she took the position of CEO of YouTube in 2014.
TechCrunch reported that YouTube posted $8.1 billion in revenue through ad sales in 2023. This accounts for a major chunk of Alphabet's total revenue, almost 10%.
Condolences from colleagues and friends
After 25 years of working with the company, Wojcicki stepped down from the post of CEO in 2023. Her successor, Neal Mohan also offered condolences on X.
''Her legacy lives on in everything she touched @google and @youtube. I am forever grateful for her friendship and guidance,'' he wrote.
Among others, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote a heartfelt message for Susan early in the morning of August 10.
He wrote, ''She is as core to the history of Google as anyone, and it’s hard to imagine the world without her.''
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