HQ Trivia, Vine co-founder Colin Kroll dead at 34

KGO logo
Sunday, December 16, 2018
HQ Trivia, Vine co-founder dies
Colin Kroll, who co-founded HQ Trivia and Vine, has died, according to an HQ Trivia spokesperson. The circumstances surrounding Kroll's death were not immediately clear.

NEW YORK -- Colin Kroll, a tech entrepreneur who co-founded popular trivia gaming app HQ Trivia and social network Vine, has died. He was 34.

HQ Trivia confirmed Kroll's death in a statement to ABC News, 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."

The New York Police Department said officers went to Kroll's Manhattan apartment early Sunday after getting a call asking for a wellness check on him.

They found him unconscious and unresponsive on his bed. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death.

Drugs were found at the scene and taken for further testing, investigators said.

According to his LinkedIn account, Kroll also served as the chief technology officer and general manager of Vine, a social network focused on short, seconds-long videos. Vine was later acquired by Twitter and eventually shut down. Kroll went on to found HQ Trivia with Rus Yusupov in 2015.

HQ Trivia experienced a surge in popularity in early 2018. The app reportedly attracted more than 1 million concurrent players at its peak.

VIDEO: What is HQ Trivia?

Why is everyone talking about this trivia app?

The Associated Press contributed to this report.