Susan Wojcicki, the previous CEO of YouTube and one of many first staff at Google after it was based in 1998, has died. She was 56.

Her husband, Dennis Troper, introduced on Fb Friday night time that Wojcicki died after a two-year battle with non-small cell lung most cancers. “It’s with profound unhappiness that I share the information of Susan Wojcicki passing,” he wrote. “My beloved spouse of 26 years and mom to our 5 youngsters left us as we speak after 2 years of dwelling with non-small cell lung most cancers.”

Troper continued in his submit, “Susan was not simply my greatest good friend and associate in life, however a superb thoughts, a loving mom, and a pricey good friend to many. Her influence on our household and the world was immeasurable. We’re heartbroken, however grateful for the time we had along with her. Please preserve our household in your ideas as we navigate this tough time.”

Wojcicki revealed in February 2023 that she was stepping down from her function at YouTube after 9 years main the Google-owned firm. On the time, she shared in a notice to employees that she was leaving to “begin a brand new chapter centered on my household, well being, and private initiatives I’m obsessed with.”

The previous govt was the sixteenth particular person to be employed at Google, initially becoming a member of the corporate in 1999 — after it was co-founded by Larry Web page and Sergey Brin the yr prior — to construct out its advert enterprise and analytics merchandise. She then transitioned into the YouTube CEO function after Google acquired the video platform in 2014.

Underneath Wojcicki’s management, YouTube grew into one of many main social and video platforms for digital creators, permitting them to monetize their content material via the corporate’s YouTube Accomplice Program. YouTube additionally launched its personal short-form video providing, Shorts, to compete with TikTok.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, paid tribute to Wojcicki on X (previously Twitter), writing, “Unbelievably saddened by the lack of my expensive good friend @SusanWojcicki after two years of dwelling with most cancers. She is as core to the historical past of Google as anybody, and it’s exhausting to think about the world with out her. She was an unbelievable particular person, chief and good friend who had an incredible influence on the world and I’m considered one of numerous Googlers who is best for understanding her. We’ll miss her dearly. Our ideas along with her household. RIP Susan.”

Born on July 5, 1968, in Santa Clara, California, Wojcicki was raised by her father, Stanley Wojcicki (died in Might 2023), who labored as a physics professor at Stanford College, and her mom, Esther Wojcicki, who was a trainer and journalist.

She later spent the vast majority of the ’90s persevering with her training, learning historical past and literature at Harvard College (A.B., 1990), economics on the College of California, Santa Cruz (M.S., 1993) and enterprise on the College of California, Los Angeles (M.B.A., 1998).

Earlier than becoming a member of the crew at Google, she had beforehand been employed by Intel Company, Bain & Co., and R.B. Webber & Co.

Along with Troper and Esther, Wojcicki is survived by her 5 youngsters.