Remembering Susan Wojcicki: YouTube’s Former CEO And Tech Pioneer

Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube and a trailblazing figure in Silicon Valley, passed away on Saturday, August 10, 2024, at the age of 54, after a two-year battle with lung cancer. Her husband, Dennis Troper, shared the news of her passing in a heartfelt Facebook post, honoring their 26 years of marriage and their five children.

Born on July 5, 1968, in Santa Clara, California, Susan Wojcicki grew up in what would later become known as Silicon Valley. Her father, Stanley Wojcicki, was a physics professor at Stanford University, and her mother, Esther Wojcicki, was a journalist and educator. Her younger sister, Anne Wojcicki, is the founder of genetics testing company 23andMe and was previously married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

Wojcicki studied history at Harvard University and worked as a photojournalist in India before returning to the U.S. to earn an Economics degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an MBA from UCLA.

The Google Years

Wojcicki began her tech career at Intel in a marketing role, where she connected with Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. She famously rented her Menlo Park garage to them, providing Google’s first office space. She described this as “one of the best decisions of my life.”

Joining Google as its 16th employee, Wojcicki became the company’s marketing manager, pushing for its integration into colleges and redesigning its logo. Her most significant contribution was leading the development of AdSense, a major revenue generator for Google.

Leading YouTube

In 2014, Wojcicki became the CEO of YouTube after Google acquired the platform for $1.65 billion in 2006. Under her leadership, YouTube’s ad revenue more than tripled, reaching $29.2 billion in 2022. Despite facing challenges like conspiracy theories and harmful content on the platform, she implemented safeguards to address concerns from sponsors, creators, and regulators.

Wojcicki married Dennis Troper in 1998, and they had five children together. She was known for prioritizing family time, ensuring she was home for dinner with her children. Tragically, their son Marco passed away in February 2024 at 19 due to an accidental drug overdose.

In February 2023, Wojcicki announced her departure from YouTube to focus on “family, health, and personal projects,” without mentioning her health battle. Her legacy as a pioneering leader in the tech industry and her contributions to Google and YouTube remain significant.