Susan Wojcicki, former CEO of YouTube, dies aged 56

Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube and a pioneer in the tech industry, has passed away at the age of 56 after a two-year battle with non-small cell lung cancer. Her death was confirmed by her husband, Dennis Troper, in a heartfelt social media post. Wojcicki, known for her significant impact on YouTube's global growth, led the platform for nearly a decade and played a key role in reshaping its relationship with the music industry.

She first joined Google in 1999 as its 16th employee, overseeing the $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube in 2006. Under her leadership as CEO from 2014 to 2023, Wojcicki expanded YouTube’s reach, launching services like YouTube TV and YouTube Music. Her efforts led to major licensing deals with the music industry, making YouTube the second-largest commercial partner to music rightsholders, paying over $6 billion annually.

Wojcicki’s contributions to the tech world were widely recognized, with Google CEO Sundar Pichai expressing his deep sadness, stating that her impact on Google’s history and the world was immeasurable.