Marco Troper | Son of former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has died aged 19

Marco Troper, the 19-year-old son of former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, died on campus at the University of California Berkeley last week, a family member has reported on Facebook.

The post, published on February 15 2024, reads “Tragedy hit my family yesterday  My beloved grandson Marco Troper, age 19 passed away yesterday.  Our family is devastated beyond comprehension.  Marco was the most kind, loving, smart, fun and beautiful human being. He was just getting starting [sic] on his second semester of his freshman year at UC Berkeley majoring in math and was truly loving it.

“He had a strong community of friends from his dorm at Stern Hall and his fraternity Zeta Psi and was thriving academically.  At home, he would tell us endless stories of his life and friends at Berkeley. Marco's life was cut too short. And we are all devastated, thinking about all the opportunities and life experiences that he will miss and we will miss together. Marco, we all love you and miss you more than you will ever know.”

Paramedics responded to a call at Berkeley’s Clark Keer Campus on Tuesday to attempt life-saving measures but were unable to revive Troper, relatives and authorities say. No cause of death has been released yet but authorities have ruled out foul play as a cause.

Having stepped down from her role with YouTube in February 2023, Susan Wojcicki was one of the tech industry’s most prominent female executives, as she oversaw the video-uploading website transition from an amateur website to the media and advertising juggernaut it has become today. 

In a message penned before leaving her position at YouTube, Wojcicki said she was doing so to focus on “my family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about.” Her departure coincided with a period when the technology industry was suffering from the downturn of the global economy, forcing a wave of layoffs to occur at the video-streaming giant.