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RIP: The tech world is mourning the loss of Susan Wojcicki, a pivotal figure who played a major role in shaping Google into the behemoth it is today. Wojcicki passed away at the age of 56 after a two-year battle with lung cancer.
While not a household name outside of Silicon Valley circles – she rarely sought the spotlight – Wojcicki's influence is evident across many of Google's most significant products and initiatives from the very beginning. She was employee number 16 at the fledgling search company, and her early marketing efforts, like getting websites to embed Google's search box, helped put it on the map.
Wojcicki wore many hats at Google over the years. She led the development of the AdSense program, which allowed the company to broker ads across millions of sites. She championed major acquisitions like YouTube in 2006 and DoubleClick in 2007, both of which turbocharged Google's ad business.
Of course, her most significant legacy is likely YouTube itself. Wojcicki pushed hard for Google to buy the video site when it was still a small operation. After getting the green light, she took over as YouTube's CEO in 2014, with a mission to "reinvent TV."
Under her leadership, YouTube's advertising revenue swelled into the billions. She expanded its business model with new subscription offerings while grappling with the endless content moderation challenges of operating the internet's biggest video platform.
"She is as core to the history of Google as anyone, and it's hard to imagine the world without her," Google CEO Sundar Pichai, wrote on Twitter/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
"My beloved wife of 26 years and mother to our five children left us today," her husband Dennis Troper wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post. "Susan was not just my best friend and partner in life, but a brilliant mind, a loving mother, and a dear friend to many. Her impact on our family and the world was immeasurable."
Wojcicki grew up on the Stanford campus before studying history and literature at Harvard. She later earned MBAs from UC Santa Cruz and UCLA. Her involvement with Google began in 1998 when she famously rented out part of her Menlo Park home to Sergey Brin and Larry Page as they were just starting the company.
Despite her immense career accomplishments, Wojcicki maintained a humble and grounded image, and was known for raising chickens and driving her kids around in a minivan.
Wojcicki stepped down from her role as YouTube CEO in 2023 to focus on her family and health but remained an advisor to Alphabet. She is survived by her husband and four children. Tragically, their oldest son, Marco, passed away earlier this year at just 19 years old.