Susan Wojcicki Dies at Age 56 From Lung Cancer — Was Smoking a Factor?

Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has tragically passed away at the age of 56.

Her husband, Dennis Troper, shared the sad news on Facebook on August 10, writing, "It is with profound sadness that I share the news of Susan Wojcicki's passing. My beloved wife of 26 years and mother to our five children left us today after 2 years of living with non-small cell lung cancer."

He continued, "Her impact on our family and the world was immeasurable. We are heartbroken, but grateful for the time we had with her. Please keep our family in your thoughts as we navigate this difficult time."

Following the news of Susan's death at a young age, many are wondering what caused her illness.

You don't have to be a smoker to get diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer.

It is not known if Susan was a smoker, but according to the National Cancer Institute, "smoking is the major risk factor for non-small cell lung cancer," but other factors include being exposed to secondhand smoke, a family history of lung cancer, or older age.

For example, in 2006, Christopher Reeve's wife Dana died from lung cancer, despite never being a smoker.

Susan was one of Google's first employees, with its two founders working out of her garage. She went on to become the CEO of YouTube in 2014, a job she held for nine years before she stepped down in 2023 to focus on her family and her health.

"I’m so proud of everything we’ve achieved,” Susan wrote at the time. " It’s been exhilarating, meaningful, and all-consuming."

Susan's son Marco died just six months ago.

In February 2024, Susan's son Marco Troper was found dead in his dorm room at the University of California, Berkeley. According to SFGate, he died of an overdose and had a high amount of alprazolam (the key drug in Xanax), as well as cocaine, amphetamine, and the antihistamine hydroxyzine, in his system.

Marco was one of Susan and Denis's five children. Susan is survived by her husband and four kids. Google's CEO Sundar Pichai paid tribute to Susan on X , calling her an "incredible person, leader, and friend."

"Unbelievably saddened by the loss of my dear friend (Susan Wojcicki) after two years of living with cancer,” Sundar tweeted. “She is as core to the history of Google as anyone, and it’s hard to imagine the world without her."

Our thoughts are with Susan's family and friends during this difficult time.