Kroll’s body was discovered this morning after his girlfriend was unable to reach him, TMZ reported. Anonymous sources told the outlet that the police discovered “drug paraphernalia nearby”, including cocaine and heroin, and that he is suspected to have suffered an overdose.
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The NYPD declined to name the deceased prior to notifying the family, however HQ Trivia spokesperson notified CNBC that Kroll had died and HQ co-founder Rus Yusupov tweeted a confirmation.
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.
— Rus (@rus) 16 декабря 2018 г.
"We learned today of the passing of our friend and founder, Colin Kroll, and it's with deep sadness that we say goodbye," HQ Trivia said in a statement. "Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time."
Kroll was one of the founders of the short-form video platform Vine in 2012 and acted as its CTO and General Manager, even after the company was acquired by Twitter, until 2014. He and fellow co-founder Dom Hofmann left Twitter and founded HQ Trivia, which was immediately considered to be a big hit. It is a live trivia game which features 12 questions which players must answer correctly within 10 seconds in order to win a cash prize.
Recent reports have suggested a drop in the popularity of the game amid internal turmoil — an HQ employee filed a formal complaint against Kroll for his aggressive management style, according to the Recorde website. The investigation launched in November found no wrongdoing, yet the company’s board decided not to promote Kroll to CEO as a result, the Verge reported.
