Colin Kroll, Co-Founder Of HQ Trivia And Vine, Dies At 34 Of Apparent Drug Overdose

GettyImages-461622269 (1) — Honorees Rus Yusupov (L) and Colin Kroll (R) accept the Breakthrough Award for Emerging Technology onstage at the Variety Breakthrough of the Year Awards during the 2014 International CES at The Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Jeff Bottari/Getty Images for Variety

Colin Kroll, co-founder of mobile app HQ Trivia and video hosting service Vine, was found dead Sunday at his apartment in New York. He was 34.

The New York Police Department responded to a call for a wellness check and found the tech executive unconscious and unresponsive on his bed, according to reports. A cause of death has not been confirmed but TMZ reported that he died of an apparent drug overdose.

Vine was purchased by Twitter in 2012 in a deal worth a reported $30 million, though Twitter shut it down in 2016. Kroll had worked for Twitter and Yahoo, though he is mostly known for his time at Vine and HQ Trivia, where he served as CEO.

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

Kroll co-founded HQ Trivia with designer and tech entrepreneur Rus Yusupov, who responded to Kroll's death on Twitter.

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

Before his time with Vine, Kroll served as a chief technology officer and Vice President of Engineering for hotel booking service Jetsetter, which was acquired by Trip Advisor in 2013. Read about Kroll's net worth here.

Kroll had been the subject of controversy in the tech industry. He was fired in 2014 by Twitter for being a "bad manager" with reports from former female colleagues that claimed his workplace behavior made them uncomfortable. Kroll later apologized for comments "that made some people feel unappreciated or uncomfortable."