HQ Trivia and Vine Co-Founder Colin Kroll Found Dead From Apparent Drug Overdose

Colin Kroll, the co-founder of the novelty social media video site Vine and popular gaming app HQ Trivia, died from an apparent overdose on Sunday (Dec. 16).

According to TMZ, the tech entrepreneur’s girlfriend asked the New York City Police to perform a wellness check at Kroll’s Manhattan apartment after she was unable to establish contact. Upon entry, officers discovered his body in a nearby bedroom. Although the official cause of death has yet to be released, it was reported by the publication that drug paraphernalia was discovered near Kroll’s body was and police believe that cocaine and/or heroin were involved in his passing. 

In addition to creating the now defunct, but still popular, Vine, the 35-year-old was also the CEO and designer of the trivia game app HQ Trivia. However, this unprecedented success has been marred with several high-profile failures. Before acquiring his current position in 2015, Kroll was fired from Twitter on the grounds of “bad management.” This followed him to his new role as a source claims the pressures of HQ Trivia losing a steady audience made Kroll amp up his “aggressive management style.”

Despite this, Kroll will always be remembered for the impact his applications have had on popular culture. Through Vine, Kroll gave a litany of A-list comedians, entertainers, and actors their first global exposure while HQ Trivia has become one of the most successful smartphone gaming franchises in history.