The University of California , Berkeley, campus was struck by tragedy as 19-year-old Marco Troper, son of former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, was found dead in his dormitory room. The heartbreaking news sent shockwaves through the university community and beyond, leaving loved ones struggling with profound grief and loss.
Troper, a freshman math major, was found unresponsive in a Clark Kerr campus dorm on Tuesday afternoon. Despite the efforts of emergency responders to resuscitate him, their attempts were tragically unsuccessful. The cause of Troper’s death remains unknown, although his grandmother, Esther Wojcicki, expressed her belief that he ingested a fatal drug.
“The 19-year-old son of former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki died Tuesday inside a dorm at the University of California, Berkeley. Marco Troper, a freshman math major, was found unresponsive in a Clark Kerr campus dorm around 4:23 p.m. Tuesday, according to KRON4, citing school… pic.twitter.com/F9WsoFEA6c
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) February 18, 2024
While investigations are ongoing, police found no evidence of foul play at the scene. A statement shared by the University of California Police Department read, “Berkeley Fire Department notified UCPD that they were attempting life-saving measures on the victim. UCPD responded, and Berkeley Fire Department pronounced the person deceased.”
👀 👉🏻Former CEO of YouTube Susan Wojcicki’s son, Marco Troper age 19 was found unresponsive in his collage dorm at UC Berkeley. An attempt was made to resuscitate him by Berkeley Fire Dept but he was pronounced dead by the time the BPD arrived on scene. No further information… pic.twitter.com/2KhNag5y75
— Rev (@Rev1621) February 18, 2024
Esther Wojcicki, often referred to as the “Godmother of Silicon Valley ,” shared her heartbreaking sorrow and highlighted the significance of preventing similar tragedies in the future. As per Mirror , she shared, “He ingested a drug, and we don’t know what was in it. One thing we do know, it was a drug . We want to prevent this from happening to any other family. Tragedy is very hard to sustain, it makes you want to hide in a closet and never come out, but I think the main thing is that we need to push forward to see what we can do to help other people so there won’t be any other kids who end up like Marco.”
This is absolutely heartbreaking. Susan Wojcicki’s son. Just horrific Tragedy strikes local family; son of former YouTube CEO found dead, possible drug overdose: https://t.co/p5oiaQe4mr
— Peggy Mangot (@peggymangot) February 18, 2024
She further added, “Tragedy hit my family yesterday. My beloved grandson Marco Troper, age 19 passed away yesterday. Our family is devastated beyond comprehension. Marco was the most kind, loving, smart, fun, and beautiful human being. He was just getting started on his second semester of his freshman year at UC Berkeley majoring in math and was truly loving it. He had a strong community of friends from his dorm at Stern Hall and his fraternity Zeta Psi and was thriving academically. At home, he would tell us endless stories of his life and friends at Berkeley.”
“Marco’s life was cut too short. And we are all devastated, thinking about all the opportunities and life experiences that he will miss and we will miss together. Marco, we all love you and miss you more than you will ever know.” she concluded.
So incredibly sad- Susan Wojcicki’s 19 year old son died from a drug overdose at Cal after taking a drug that was potentially laced with fentanyl. 2mg of fentanyl (~10-15 grains of salt worth) is a lethal dose. pic.twitter.com/NdvaB2sMFD
— Sheel Mohnot (@pitdesi) February 18, 2024
As per the New York Post , Susan, Trooper’s mother, has been a prominent figure in the tech industry, serving as CEO of YouTube and earning accolades as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people. Her decision to step down from her position in 2023 highlighted her commitment to prioritizing family, health, and personal projects. Unfortunately, she now faces the unimaginable loss of her son, and her family is battling profound grief, mourning the loss of a cherished brother and friend.