Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki Passes Away After Battle With Cancer

Susan Wojcicki, a pioneering figure in the tech industry and former CEO of YouTube, has passed away at the age of 56 following a two-year battle with cancer. The news of her death was confirmed by her husband, Dennis Troper, on August 9.

Who was Susan Diane Wojcicki?

Susan Diane Wojcicki was an American business executive who was the chief executive officer of YouTube from 2014 to 2023. Her net worth was estimated at $765 million in 2022. Wojcicki worked in the technology industry for over twenty years. She became involved in the creation of Google in 1998 when she rented out her garage as an office to the company’s founders.

Google’s first marketing manager

She worked as Google’s first marketing manager in 1999, and later led the company’s online advertising business and original video service. After observing the success of YouTube, she suggested that Google should buy it; the deal was approved for $1.65 billion in 2006. She was appointed CEO of YouTube in 2014, serving until resigning in February 2023.

Desire to start a new chapter

Wojcicki, a trailblazer for women in the technology sector, stepped down as CEO of YouTube in 2023 after a nine-year tenure. She cited a desire to “start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about” as the reason for her departure. “It would be one of the best decisions of my life,” Wojcicki noted in her announcement at the time, as per The Guardian.

Her Service

Before her role at YouTube, Wojcicki served as a senior vice-president for ad products at Google, where she played a pivotal role in the company’s growth. Her career also included stints at Intel and Bain & Company before she joined Google in its early days, as per The Guardian report. Following her departure, Indian-American Neal Mohan was appointed as the new CEO of YouTube in February 2023, succeeding Wojcicki after her remarkable 25-year career with the Google-owned company.