The tech world is mourning the loss of one of its most influential figures, Susan Wojcicki, who passed away at the age of 56.
Her husband, Dennis Troper, confirmed her death.
Wojcicki was a trailblazer in the tech industry, playing a pivotal role in the inception of Google and serving as YouTube's CEO for nearly a decade.
According to ABC News, Wojcicki stepped down from her position at YouTube last year, citing a desire to devote more time to her "family, health, and personal projects Im passionate about. Her departure marked the end of an era for one of the most esteemed female executives in the tech industry, a sector often criticized for its lack of gender diversity.
Wojcicki's association with Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin began in the late 90s, shortly after they transformed their search engine into a business. In a move that would prove pivotal, Wojcicki rented her Menlo Park, California, garage to the duo for $1,700 a month. This partnership would see Page and Brin further develop their search engine in Wojcickis garage for five months before transitioning Google into a more formal office setting. The co-founders later persuaded their former landlord to join their burgeoning enterprise.
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai expressed his grief over Wojcicki's passing in a note to employees, stating, 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.
Dennis Troper, Wojcicki's husband of 26 years, shared the heartbreaking news of her passing on social media, revealing that she had been living with non-small cell 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, Troper said.
Further details surrounding her death have not been disclosed. This tragic news follows the loss of the couple's 19-year-old son, Marco Troper, who passed away in February at the UC Berkeley campus where he was a freshman student. The tech industry has lost a visionary leader, and her legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations.
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