Susan Wojcicki, who led YouTube for almost a decade – and was personally concerned within the platform placing landmark offers with the music business – died yesterday (August 9) aged 56.
Wojcicki’s loss of life after two years of dwelling with most cancers was confirmed by her husband, Dennis Troper, in a social media publish.
“It’s with profound unhappiness that I share the information of Susan Wojcicki passing. My beloved spouse of 26 years and mom to our 5 youngsters left us at the moment after 2 years of dwelling with non-small cell lung most cancers,” Troper wrote.
“Susan was not simply my greatest buddy and companion in life, however an excellent thoughts, a loving mom, and a pricey buddy 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 troublesome time.”
Susan Wojcicki joined Google in 1999 as its sixteenth worker, and, amongst many different achievements, oversaw the corporate’s $1.65 billion buy of YouTube in 2006.
Wojcicki then grew to become YouTube CEO from 2014 to 2023, a interval by which the platform quickly scaled its international attain.
Her achievements included increasing YouTube to good televisions and launching YouTube TV, in addition to main the early improvement of Google’s picture search.
As well as, Wojcicki and her group at YouTube remodeled the platform’s relationship with the music enterprise.
Out of that improved relationship got here milestone licensing agreements and, in the end, the profitable launch of YouTube Music / YouTube Premium in 2018.
Tellingly, Common Music Group chief Sir Lucian Grainge personally congratulated Wojcicki when YouTube Music surpassed 50 million subscribers in 2021.
For over a decade at YouTube, Wojcicki labored intently with Robert Kyncl – now CEO of Warner Music Group, however beforehand Chief Enterprise Officer at Google’s video platform.
Alongside Kyncl, Wojcicki performed a key position within the hiring of Lyor Cohen as International Head of Music at YouTube in 2016.
At this time, below Cohen’s management, YouTube Music (and YouTube Premium) has expanded to over 100 million paying subscribers globally.
YouTube is at the moment the second-largest business companion of music rightsholders, paying over $6 billion yearly to recorded firms and music publishers.
The platform has publicly said its ambition to overhaul Spotify because the music rights business’s No.1 business companion within the years forward.
In a tribute to Wojcicki posted on X yesterday, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, mentioned, “Unbelievably saddened by the lack of my expensive buddy @SusanWojcicki after two years of dwelling with most cancers. She is as core to the historical past of Google as anybody, and it’s onerous to think about the world with out her.”
Pichai continued: “She was an unimaginable particular person, chief and buddy who had an amazing influence on the world and I’m considered one of numerous Googlers who is healthier for figuring out her. We’ll miss her dearly. Our ideas along with her household. RIP Susan.”Music Enterprise Worldwide
