Susan Wojcicki, Former CEO of YouTube, Dies at 56 of Cancer

“Her impact on our family and the world was immeasurable," her husband shared on Facebook after her death on Aug. 9

Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube, has died. She was 56.

Wojcicki died of lung cancer, after living with the disease for two years, on Friday, Aug. 9, her husband Dennis Troper announced on Facebook.

“It is with profound sadness that I share the news of Susan Wojcicki passing,” he wrote. "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. 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,” the post concluded. Wojcicki’s husband poignantly shared several photos beside his message of her from over the years with him and some of their children.

Related: YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki Announces She's Stepping Down in Order to 'Start a New Chapter'

Wojcicki became CEO of YouTube in 2014. She was a prominent figure during the emergence and development of video-sharing in social media and held her position as CEO for nine years before stepping down in February 2023.

YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan, wrote of his predecessor at the company on X (formerly Twitter): “Today we @youtube lost a teammate, mentor, and friend, @SusanWojcicki. I had the good fortune of meeting Susan 17 years ago when she was the architect of the DoubleClick acquisition. Her legacy lives on in everything she touched @google and @youtube.”

“I am forever grateful for her friendship and guidance. I will miss her tremendously,” he added, before concluding his message by passing on his condolences to her family.

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Wojcicki’s career started as one of just 16 employees working at Google in 1999. She became the first marketing executive there and the one in charge when the company branched out to Google Video in 2005 and purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion the next year, per Variety. 

While working at Google, Wojcicki also led the early development of Google’s image search and supervised product management of Google Book Search and AdSense according to the outlet.

Sunday Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, wrote in tribute on X: “Unbelievably saddened by the loss of my dear friend @SusanWojcicki … 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.”

Related: Cause of Death Revealed for Marco Troper, 19-Year-Old Son of Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki

Wojcicki’s death comes six months after her 19-year-old son Marco Troper, died of a drug overdose at UC Berkeley in February.

Marco, who was a freshman at the university, was found unresponsive at his dormitory, Clark Kerr Campus, a spokesperson for the school confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.

The Alameda County Coroner's Bureau in California later confirmed to PEOPLE Marco died of "acute combined drug toxicity." A coroner investigator’s report obtained by PEOPLE stated that he had an accidental overdose as a result of having high concentrations of alprazolam, as well as cocaine, amphetamine, and hydroxyzine in his body.

Wojcicki is survived by her husband Dennis and, following Marco's death, four children.

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