Youtube CEO Neal Mohan
Indian-origin YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan, has been named the 2025 CEO of the Year by TIME Magazine. Taking over the CEO role in 2023, Mohan has been credited with leading YouTube through a transformative era.
A ‘Cultural Architect’ and ‘Farmer’
TIME Magazine referred to Mohan as a “Cultural Architect” who shapes the daily consumption habits of billions of people. In a striking comparison, TIME likened Mohan to a farmer, stating: “Whatever he cultivates, we will eat.”
The publication elaborated on this analogy: “YouTube is making the food for the entire world today. Neal Mohan is the farmer, and whatever he grows, we will all eat.” The article further described YouTube as a “field” where some sow good crops and others plant poison. The platform, it says, has become an entire planet, and “whatever is grown on it, will end up on everyone’s plate.” The comparison is particularly relevant as YouTube celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Who is Neal Mohan?
Neal Mohan is 52 years old, born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1973. He came to Lucknow, India, with his Tamil parents in the 1980s, where he learned Hindi and Sanskrit. He even combined his knowledge of Sanskrit with computer programming.
* Education: He completed his undergraduate and MBA degrees at Stanford.
* Early Career: Mohan began his career in consulting before joining the startup NetGravity, which was later acquired by DoubleClick.
* The Google Acquisition: In 2007, Google acquired DoubleClick for $3.1 billion.
* A Tragic Loss: Mohan’s brother, Anuj, tragically passed away in a swimming pool accident at the age of 30.
Mohan’s Journey to YouTube CEO
Mohan met Susan Wojcicki at DoubleClick, who would later become YouTube’s CEO. Wojcicki recruited him to YouTube. In 2023, Mohan was appointed YouTube’s CEO, taking on the responsibilities when Wojcicki was undergoing cancer diagnosis. Wojcicki passed away in 2024.
According to TIME, Mohan is “quiet-spoken, deliberative, hard to ruffle.” He enjoys watching sports and attending his daughters’ dance recitals. He is also known to occasionally appear in videos made by various creators on the platform.