HQ Trivia co-founder, Colin Kroll, found dead
The CEO of HQ Trivia and co-founder of Vine was found dead in his SOHO apartment. The cause of death is an apparent drug overdose.
Colin Kroll, the co-founder of the HQ Trivia and Vine video apps, died Sunday at the age of 35.
Kroll was found unconscious and unresponsive on his bed after New York Police Department officers went to his Manhattan apartment early Sunday after getting a call asking for a wellness check on him. According to TMZ, “drug paraphernalia” was found “nearby” Kroll’s body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner’s office is working to determine the official cause of death.
HQ Trivia confirmed the news on Twitter, offering condolences to those close to Kroll.
“We learned today of the passing of our friend and founder, Colin Kroll, and it's with deep sadness that we say goodbye,” the company said in a tweet. “Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
Kroll was the chief executive of the trivia app, which live-streams short trivia shows to users and became popular after its release in 2017. He co-founded HQ with Rus Yusupov, who also shared his condolences on Twitter.
“So sad to hear about the passing of my friend and co-founder Colin Kroll. My thoughts & prayers go out to his loved ones. I will forever remember him for his kind soul and big heart. He made the world and internet a better place. Rest in peace, brother,” Yusupov wrote.
Kroll was also a founder of Vine, which was an app built around six-second videos that was purchased by Twitter in 2012 in a deal worth a reported $30 million. Twitter shut down the video sharing service in 2016.
He also worked for a period at Twitter, but was fired for being a “bad manager,” 18 months after the company bought Vine, according to Recode, which cited three people with direct knowledge of the situation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.