10 August 2024 , 15:41
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Susan Wojcicki, who transformed Google from a start-up in her garage to an internet titan, died yesterday. She was 56.
Her death was confirmed by her husband, Dennis Troper, on Facebook, saying she had lived with lung cancer for two years.
‘Susan was not just my best friend and partner in life, but a brilliant mind, a loving mother, and a dear friend to many,’ he said.
‘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 news comes only months after her son, Marco Troper, was found dead inside a University of California, Berkeley, dorm room.
His cause of death was ruled a drug overdose, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Born on July 5, 1968, Wojcicki quickly became one of the most powerful women in Silicon Valley.
Wojcicki first joined Google in 1998. Her office was her own house, a cramped garage she and friends Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google’s founders, rented for $1,700, about $3,200 at the time.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company that acquired YouTube in 2006, paid tribute to Wojcicki.
‘Even as I write this it feels impossible to me that it’s true,’ Alphabet’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, said in an email to staff later shared by Google in a blog post.
‘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.’
Marco Troper was one of her five children (Picture: Facebook)
Wojcicki knows a thing or two about transforming tech companies into success stories. As YouTube’s chief executive since 2014, she helped make the video platform more profitable and clamped down on hate speech and misinformation.
Her vision for YouTube, Pichai said, was turning it into a platform that could educate the world. New forms of advertising, as well as adding a music streaming service and YouTube TV, were also among her achievements.
She announced last year in a blog post that she would be ‘stepping back’ from her leadership role to focus on her family and health. Though, Wojcicki remained as an advisor to Alphabet.
‘Susan always put others first, both in her values and in the day-to-day,’ added Pichai, describing her as a philanthropist.
‘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.’