Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki died of cancer and wrote her final message

• Before her death on August 9, former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki wrote a message about her lung cancer diagnosis and her efforts to invest in research into the disease — a message shared more than three months later, on Monday, November 25th
• “My goal for the future is to enjoy the present as much as possible and fight for a better understanding and cure for this disease,” she wrote in the blog post
• “For two years, she fought cancer the same way she lived the rest of her life – with hope, curiosity to learn, and determination to intensify research efforts that could save lives,” added the current YouTube director. CEO Neal Mohan added

YouTube just shared a message from Susan Wojcicki, the company’s former CEO, written in her final weeks before her death from lung cancer.

Wojcicki’s final message was posted on the YouTube blog on Monday, November 25, coinciding with Lung Cancer Awareness Month. According to Neal Mohan, the platform’s current CEO, Wojcicki wrote the message in hopes of releasing it in the fall.

“I was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of 2022,” Wojcicki’s message began. “I had almost no symptoms and was running a few kilometers a day at the time. I had never smoked so I was completely shocked by this diagnosis.”

“My life changed dramatically after that day,” she continued. “I have decided to leave my role as CEO of YouTube to focus on my health and family. Thanks to modern medicine, I was able to lead an almost normal life. I continued to serve on boards: Salesforce, Planet Labs, and Waymo, as well as nonprofit boards like Room to Read and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). But most of my time was focused on cancer research.”

In the message, Wojcicki said that she and her husband, Dennis Troper, actively supported cancer research before her diagnosis. The couple then donated millions of dollars to “early detection research, new immunotherapy options… and basic research to better understand the mechanisms and science behind cancers.”

“I plan to continue investing my time and resources into future cures for cancer,” she continued. “Especially lung cancer.”

Wojcicki also noted that lung cancer has increased in people who have never smoked and that two-thirds of people diagnosed with the disease are women. She added that lung cancer is underfunded compared to other cancers such as breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

“Having cancer wasn’t easy,” Wojcicki said. “I’ve changed a lot as a person, and probably the most important lesson I’ve learned is to just focus on the present and enjoy it! Life is unpredictable for everyone, there are many unknowns, but there is a lot of beauty in everyday life.”

“My goal for the future is to enjoy the present as much as possible and fight for a better understanding and cure for this disease,” her message concluded.

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Wojicki’s death on August 9 was first announced by her husband on Facebook.

“It is with deep sadness that I share the news of the passing of Susan Wojcicki,” Troper wrote at the time. “My beloved wife of 26 years and mother of our five children left us today after living with non-small cell lung cancer for two years.”

“Susan was not only my best friend and life partner, but also a brilliant mind, a loving mother and a dear friend to many,” he continued. “Her impact on our family and the world has been immeasurable. We are heartbroken but grateful for the time we spent with her.”

When he became CEO of YouTube in 2014, Wojcicki played an important role in the video-sharing platform’s growth. She served in the position for nine years before stepping down in February 2023.

Before joining YouTube, Wojcicki was one of 16 employees at Google in 1999, where she became the search engine’s head of marketing. diversity reported – adding that she spearheaded the launch of Google Video in 2005 and oversaw Google’s acquisition of YouTube in 2006.

Six months before her death, Wojcicki’s 19-year-old son Marco Troper died of a drug overdose at UC Berkeley in February of this year.

In his introduction to Wojcicki’s previously unpublished message on the YouTube blog, Mohan praised his predecessor, writing: “For two years she fought cancer the same way she had lived the rest of her life – with hope, curiosity to learn and the determination to do it.” Major research efforts that could save lives.”

“Through Susan,” Mohan added, “I learned that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. She wanted to change those odds.”