Former YouTube CEO and Google veteran Susan Wojcicki dies aged 56

Susan Wojcicki, who stepped down after a decade as CEO of YouTube in 2023, has died aged 56.

Susan Wojcicki (photo: TechCrunch via CC)

A trailblazer in Silicon Valley, Wojcicki was one of the first ever employees at Google and ran its YouTube streaming service for nine years until 2023.

When she gave up her position a year ago, she said: “Today, after nearly 25 years here, I’ve decided to step back from my role as the head of YouTube and start a new chapter focused on my family, health and personal projects I’m passionate about.”

Her husband, Dennis Troper, announced on Friday via Facebook that Wojcicki had passed away after two years living with cancer.

Troper said: “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 two years of living with non-small cell lung cancer.”

Wojcicki assumed the top post at YouTube in early 2014, taking over from Salar Kamangar. She presided over an impressive and sustained period of growth for the platform, whose revenues climbed from US$8.15bn in 2017 to US$29.24bn in 2022.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote on X: “Unbelievably saddened by the loss of my dear friend Susan Wojcicki after two years of living with cancer. She is as core to the history of Google as anyone and it’s hard to imagine the world without her.”