Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube, passed away on Friday after a two-year battle with non-small cell lung cancer. She was 56.
The news was shared by her husband, Dennis Troper, in a statement on Facebook, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of his wife of 26 years.
Wojcicki, who is survived by her husband and four of their five children, was described by her husband as a brilliant mind, a loving mother, and a cherished friend.
“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,” Troper said in a post on Facebook.
Troper said Wojcicki was his best friend and partner in life, calling her impact on their family and the world immeasurable.
“We are heartbroken, but grateful for the time we had with her,” he added. “Please keep our family in your thoughts as we navigate this difficult time.”
Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and Alphabet, paid tribute to Wojcicki in a statement shared on X, writing that he was “unbelievably saddened by the loss of my dear friend.”
“Susan was one of the most active and vibrant people I have ever met,” he said in further remarks published by Google. “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.”
Pichai said Wojcicki was an incredible person, leader, and friend. She “had a tremendous impact on the world and I’m one of countless Googlers who is better for knowing her,” he continued.
The current Google CEO said that over the last two years Wojcicki, even as she battled cancer, devoted herself to philanthropy, including supporting research for the disease that took her life.
“We will miss her dearly,” he said.
Wojcicki and Troper got married in 1998 and had five children together.
Her 19-year-old son Marco Troper died earlier this year from a drug overdose at the UC Berkeley campus where he resided. He was a freshman. Wojcicki’s mother, Esther Wojcicki, said in a Facebook post at the time that their family was devastated.
A prominent woman in tech, Wojcicki became the CEO of YouTube, the giant video-sharing platform, in 2014. The company started in her garage nearly 26 years ago when she rented the space to Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the co-founders of Google, which acquired YouTube. In 2015, she was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people.
She stepped down last year after nine years in the role.
In a video message announcing her resignation, Wojcicki said she would focus on “family, health, and personal projects.”
