Colin Kroll, a technology executive who co-founded the HQ Trivia app, has been found dead in New York at the age of 34.
The city’s police department said officers had gone to Kroll’s Manhattan apartment early on Sunday after getting a call asking for a wellbeing check on him. He was found unconscious and unresponsive on his bed.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. The New York medical examiner’s office will determine the cause of death.
Kroll was the chief executive of the trivia app, which livestreams short trivia shows to users and became extremely popular after its release in 2017 before later experiencing a decline in popularity.
He was also a founder of Vine, an app that was built around six-second videos, and he worked for a period at Twitter.
Police have notified Kroll’s family and HQ Trivia put out a statement on Sunday saying: “We learned today of the passing of our friend and founder, Colin Kroll, and it’s with deep sadness that we say goodbye. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
Kroll’s Vine and Trivia HQ co-founder, Rus Yusupov, posted 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,” he tweeted.
Kroll was being mourned on Sunday as a brilliant technology entrepreneur. But he also had a controversial side and had admitted being fired in the past for bad management and for some inappropriate behavior towards women in the workplace.
He had been named chief executive of HQ Trivia in September.