Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, who rented garage space to Google founders, dies

Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has passed away at the age of 56 after battling with lung cancer for two years, according to a Facebook post shared by her husband, Dennis Troper.

"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," Troper wrote while sharing photos of him with with Susan Wojcicki.

"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," Troper added.

Sundar Pichai shares X post

"Unbelievably saddened by the loss of my dear friend @SusanWojcicki after two years of living with cancer," Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai wrote on X. 

Unbelievably saddened by the loss of my dear friend @SusanWojcicki 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. She was an incredible person, leader and friend who had a tremendous…

— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) August 10, 2024

"She is as core to the history of Google as anyone, and it’s hard to imagine the world without her. She was an incredible person, leader and friend who had a tremendous impact on the world and I’m one of countless Googlers who is better for knowing her. We will miss her dearly. Our thoughts with her family. RIP Susan," Pichai wrote.

Pichai also shared a note titled "An incredible life and career" in a blog post.

Googlers,

By now you may have heard the news that Susan Wojcicki has passed away after two years of living with lung cancer. Even as I write this it feels impossible to me that it’s true. Susan was one of the most active and vibrant people I have ever met.

Her loss is devastating for all of us who know and love her, for the thousands of Googlers she led over the years, and for millions of people all over the world who looked up to her, benefited from her advocacy and leadership, and felt the impact of the incredible things she created at Google, YouTube, and beyond.

Susan’s journey, from the garage she rented to Larry and Sergey … to leading teams across consumer products and building our Ads business … to becoming the CEO of YouTube, one of the world’s most significant platforms, is inspiring by any measure. But she didn’t stop there.

As one of the earliest Googlers — and the first to take maternity leave — Susan used her position to build a better workplace for everyone. And in the years that followed, her advocacy around parental leave set a new standard for businesses everywhere.

Susan was also deeply passionate about education. She realized early on that YouTube could be a learning platform for the world and championed “edutubers” — especially those who extended the reach of STEM education to underserved communities. 

Over the last two years, even as she dealt with great personal difficulties, Susan devoted herself to making the world better through her philanthropy, including supporting research for the disease that ultimately took her life.

I know that was very meaningful to her and I’m so glad she took the time to do it. Susan always put others first, both in her values and in the day to day. I’ll never forget her kindness to me as a prospective “Noogler” 20 years ago. 

During my Google interview she took me out for an ice cream and a walk around campus. I was sold - on Google and Susan. I feel so fortunate to have spent so many years working with Susan closely, as I’m sure many of you do — she was absolutely loved by her teams here. Her time on earth was far too short, but she made every minute count.

We’re in close touch with Susan’s family, including her husband and fellow Googler, Dennis. We will share more soon about how we’re going to celebrate her incredible life.

In the meantime, let’s honor Susan’s memory by continuing to build a Google she would be proud of.

-Sundar

Susan Wojcicki's role at YouTube

Wojcicki became the YouTube CEO in February 2014 and stepped down in February 2023, after which Neal Mohan became the new CEO.

At that time, Wojcicki cited 'family, health, and personal projects' as the reasons for stepping down from her role.

Wojcicki played a pivotal role in building Google’s massive advertising business. She helped create AdSense and is credited with personally orchestrating Google’s 2007 acquisition of DoubleClick, a deal considered crucial to establishing Google’s ad empire.

Notably, In 2011, The San Jose Mercury News reported that she personally convinced Google’s board to buy YouTube.

It’s worth noting that Wojcicki played a crucial role in the founding of Google, having rented garage space in her parents' house to co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to start the company in 1998.