Susan Wojcicki, who led YouTube for almost a decade – and was personally concerned within the platform placing landmark offers with the music trade – died yesterday (August 9) aged 56.
Wojcicki’s demise after two years of dwelling with most cancers was confirmed by her husband, Dennis Troper, in a social media submit.
“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 kids left us right now after 2 years of dwelling with non-small cell lung most cancers,” Troper wrote.
“Susan was not simply my finest good friend and associate in life, however an excellent thoughts, a loving mom, and a pricey good friend to many. Her affect on our household and the world was immeasurable. We’re heartbroken, however grateful for the time we had along with her. Please maintain our household in your ideas as we navigate this tough 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 turned YouTube CEO from 2014 to 2023, a interval by which the platform quickly scaled its international attain.
Her achievements included increasing YouTube to sensible televisions and launching YouTube TV, in addition to main the early growth of Google’s picture search.
As well as, Wojcicki and her staff at YouTube remodeled the platform’s relationship with the music enterprise.
Out of that improved relationship got here milestone licensing agreements and, finally, 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 function within the hiring of Lyor Cohen as International Head of Music at YouTube in 2016.
In the present day, beneath Cohen’s management, YouTube Music (and YouTube Premium) has expanded to over 100 million paying subscribers globally.
YouTube is at present the second-largest business associate of music rightsholders, paying over $6 billion yearly to recorded corporations and music publishers.
The platform has publicly said its ambition to overhaul Spotify because the music rights trade’s No.1 business associate within the years forward.
In a tribute to Wojcicki posted on X yesterday, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, stated, “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 laborious to think about the world with out her.”
Pichai continued: “She was an unimaginable individual, chief and good friend who had an amazing affect on the world and I’m one among numerous Googlers who is best for figuring out her. We are going to miss her dearly. Our ideas along with her household. RIP Susan.”Music Enterprise Worldwide
