You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

HQ Trivia and Vine Co-Founder Colin Kroll Dies of Apparent Overdose The controversial executive was just 35.

By Jon Fingas

entrepreneur daily

This story originally appeared on Engadget

Steven Lawton/Getty Images for Variety via engadget
Colin Kroll

One of the mobile app world's more influential and controversial executives has passed away. TMZ has learned that Colin Kroll, the co-founder of both HQ Trivia and Vine, has died of an apparent drug overdose in Manhattan at the age of 34. Kroll had been the CEO of the company for just three months following a change in role for fellow founder Rus Yusupov, and it's not clear what will happen next for the startup. HQ Trivia isn't commenting at this stage.

Related: 7 Memorable Quotes from George HW Bush

Kroll is most often remembered for creating Vine along with Yusupov and Dom Hoffmann. While it was only available for four years after its 2013 debut, it became a cultural phenomenon with its own stars and breakout moments. However, his time in the years since has been marked by controversy. Twitter ousted him 18 months after acquiring Vine, reportedly for bad management. Recode noted that women at Vine also accused him of "creepy" and "womanizing" behavior. While women didn't file complaints, the assertions were enough to spook some would-be HQ Trivia investors looking into Kroll's background.

It's not certain how the loss will affect HQ Trivia. It comes right as the firm is expanding beyond its game show roots, though, and may influence the company's strategy going forward. The tragedy might also draw more attention to the personal conduct of tech executives both inside and outside of work.

Jon Fingas is an associate editor at Engadget.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

What We Have to Gain By Talking About Grief and Loss At Work

I lost my husband to cancer during Covid — here's how it changed how I lead at work.

Money & Finance

5 Simple Wealth-Building Tips For This Generation's Forward-Thinkers

Explore practical finance tips for young professionals striving to overcome economic challenges.

Fundraising

Avoid These 9 Pitch Deck Mistakes When Asking Others For Money

Crafting an efficient pitch deck requires serious effort, but at least it's not wandering in the dark since certain rules are shaped by decades of relationships between startups and investors.

Business News

Mark Zuckerberg Says This CEO Is the 'Taylor Swift' of Tech

Meta's CEO posed with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Instagram Wednesday.

Growing a Business

To Achieve Sustainable Success, You Need to Stop Focusing on Disruption. Here's Why — and What You Must Focus on Instead.

Instead of zeroing in solely on disruptive innovation, embrace a pragmatic approach to innovation, recognizing and leveraging the potential within ongoing industry shifts.

Real Estate

3 Emerging Trends Shaping the Future of Real Estate

These three innovations are reshaping the real estate industry — discover tips for effectively covering these trends.