Colin Kroll, the co-founder of the widely popular game HQ Trivia, has been found dead in a New York City apartment, according to police.
Kroll, who also co-founded the now defunct video platform Vine, was found by police in his Manhattan apartment’s bedroom early Sunday morning after his girlfriend requested a welfare check, TMZ first reported.
The 34-year-old’s suspected cause of death is a narcotics overdose, NYPD sources told HuffPost. Several news outlets, including the New York Post and the Daily Beast, reported that drug paraphernalia was found nearby in his room.
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Kroll co-founded the popular app HQ Trivia with Rus Yusupov and was named CEO in September. The game invites users to participate in live trivia rounds with prize money.
Yusupov, in a statement posted to Twitter Sunday afternoon, expressed his condolences to Kroll’s 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,” he added.
HQ Trivia’s Twitter account released a similar statement shortly after.
In addition to his work with HQ Trivia, Kroll also worked for Twitter as an adviser, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was fired from the online platform in 2014 for allegedly being a “bad manager.” Female colleagues said his behavior made them feel uncomfortable, Recode reported last year, citing former colleagues. No sexual harassment complaints were filed about Kroll at Twitter.
Kroll’s cause and manner of death remain under investigation, the medical examiner’s office told HuffPost.
This story has been updated with statements from HQ and Yusupov.
