Vine, HQ Trivia co-founder dies at 34; drug overdose suspected
What's the story
Colin Kroll, the co-founder of video hosting service Vine and popular iPhone game HQ Trivia, was found dead in his New York City apartment on Sunday, apparently as a result of a drug overdose.
The 34-year-old's death came to light after his girlfriend couldn't contact him, and informed the police, suspecting that something was amiss.
Here are the details.
Details
Cocaine, heroin found in Kroll's possession
When police responded to the call and arrived at Kroll's apartment, they found him unresponsive.
Reportedly, cocaine and heroin were found to be in Kroll's possession, leading police to believe that he died of a drug overdose.
As news of his demise spread, Kroll's colleagues and friends expressed their shock at his death, while also tweeting condolences.
Twitter Post
Vine co-founder Rus Yusupov tweets his condolences
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.
— Rus (@rus) December 16, 2018
Twitter Post
HQ Trivia bids Kroll goodbye
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.
— HQ Trivia (@hqtrivia) December 16, 2018
Career
A look at Kroll's short career
Kroll not only co-founded HQ Trivia, but was also made its CEO in 2015.
Prior to that, Kroll had co-founded Vine, and had a brief stint at Twitter when the social media giant acquired the video hosting service.
However, 18 months after joining Twitter, Kroll was fired after some of his female colleagues complained against his behavior, which was described as 'abrasive'.
Vine
Vine had been quite popular back in the day
Kroll co-founded Vine in June 2012, and Twitter acquired the six-second video streaming service for $30mn in October 2012 itself, months before its official launch.
Vine was officially launched in January 2013, and by December 2015, boasted an astonishing 200 million users.
In October 2016, Twitter announced that it would discontinue Vine's mobile app, and in 2017, launched an archive of all Vine videos.
HQ Trivia
Separately, HQ Trivia saw participation by high-profile hosts
In August 2017, Vine co-founders Kroll and Rus Yusupov launched HQ Trivia - a live game show that allows users to participate free of cost and win prize money.
While Scott Rogowsky is the primary show host, HQ Trivia has seen several high-profile hosts, from Jimmy Kimmel to Bert from Sesame Street.
Reportedly, Kroll was also facing allegations of misbehavior at HQ Trivia.
Do you know?
Kroll's HQ Trivia was extremely popular on the iPhone
Kroll's HQ Trivia was one of the most downloaded games on the iPhone in January, and had been among the top 10 back then. However, subsequently, the game's popularity slid, and it dropped to a spot among 250-500 most downloaded games on the iPhone.