N.Y. Police found the body of Colin Kroll on Sunday morning, co-founder of Vine and HQ Trivia, in his apartment after they received calls from his girlfriend whom was concerned about his whereabouts. The young tech entrepreneur was only 34 years old.
Colin Kroll was pronounced dead on the scene by first responders, and although medical examiners have yet to pronounce an official verdict, it is believed that the cause of death was drug overdose. Police say they found his body face down on his bed nearby drug paraphernalia, with what appeared to be cocaine and heroin.
“We learned today of the passing of our friend and founder, Colin Kroll, and it’s with deep sadness that we say goodbye,” a spokeswoman for HQ Trivia said in an email.
Mr. Kroll’s father, Alan Kroll, said in a phone interview: “He had so much talent and had accomplished so much at such a young age. It truly is a waste. At 34, imagine the things he’d done and the skills he had. It would have been really fun to watch him at 50.”
The young man first made his name in the tech scene as co-founder behind the visionary app Vine, a popular video capture and social media platform that was sold to Twitter in 2012 and officially closed in 2017.
Colin Kroll went on to work for Twitter for a brief time before being fired amidst allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior towards women. In August of 2017, Kroll helped debut HQ Trivia, the viral sensation that drew millions to its simple format, which pitted contestants against one another in a giant Trivia game free for all twice a day. The game has waned in popularity in recent months however.
Colin Kroll’s father, Alan Kroll, told the NYTimes that he believed his son had stopped drinking, but that he admitted to still recreationally taking drugs. The two had discussed Colin’s long work hours, stressful life, and the possibility of visiting his father for a much needed vacation in Michigan.
“He worked too many hours and too hard,” he said. “I think New York City got to him a little bit. He had this hard Midwest drive about him. He couldn’t understand people that couldn’t keep up. I tried to explain to him that not everyone could do that.”
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Colin and we encourage our readers to reach out if they believe their loved ones could be struggling with substance abuse issues. High functioning substance addiction is very real and it takes patience, effort, and support to help overcome.
For more information about substance abuse resources, treatment centers, and trends in the behavioral health industry, check out the rest of the Landmark Recovery blog.
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