Drug death for young tech guru

COLIN Kroll, co-founder of the Vine video app and the HQ Trivia game, has been found dead in his Manhattan apartment of an apparent drug overdose, Variety has confirmed. He was 35.

New York Police Department officers responded to a call by Mr Kroll’s girlfriend who was concerned about him.

The police found him unresponsive in his SoHo residence and EMS staff pronounced him dead at the scene.

An NYPD rep said the department was awaiting results of the medical examiner’s report to determine cause of death but confirmed that drugs appeared to be involved. Police found Mr Kroll’s body surrounded by drug paraphernalia, TMZ reported.

Mr Kroll’s latest venture was HQ Trivia, where he served as CEO of the company he co-founded with Rus Yusupov. HQ Trivia became a viral hit after launching in 2017 as a live-streaming game show that doles out real cash to players – a format that’s been widely copied.

In a tweet on Sunday, Mr Yusupov wrote: “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.”

HQ Trivia also posted a statement on Twitter about Mr Kroll’s death, saying: “Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”

Mr Kroll (right) had been Vine’s general manager for a few months before he was fired via Twitter in 2014.

In a statement released earlier this year, Mr Kroll acknowledged that “I was let go from Vine four years ago for poor management. I now realise that there are things I said and did that made some feel unappreciated or uncomfortable. I apologise to those people.”