Ex-CEO of YouTube Susan Wojcicki’s Son Found Dead

19-year-old Marco Troper, the son of former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, was discovered dead at the University of California, Berkeley, on Tuesday, as revealed by his grandmother in a Facebook post.

Marco, residing at the Clark Kerr Campus, a student housing complex, was found in an unresponsive state around 4:23 p.m. local time, according to UC Berkeley spokesperson Janet Gilmore. The victim’s identity and the death were confirmed by his grandmother, Esther Wojcicki, in a heartfelt Facebook post on Wednesday.

Marco Troper’s grandmother posted a message expressing how saddened she was by his demise. He was, in her words, “the most kind, loving, smart, fun, and beautiful human being.” After arriving on the site, the Berkeley Fire Department notified the University of California Police Department of their attempts to preserve the student’s life.

Unfortunately, by the time campus police arrived, the Berkeley Fire Department had already pronounced him dead. Gilmore stated that there were no signs of foul play and that the cause of death was being looked into.

According to Esther Wojcicki, Troper was in his second semester of his freshman year at UC Berkeley, majoring in math, and thoroughly enjoying his academic pursuits. She emphasized his academic success and strong connections with friends in both his dorm and fraternity.

Expressing the family’s devastation, she lamented that Marco’s life was cut short, with thoughts lingering on the missed opportunities and experiences they would never share. Esther Wojcicki concluded her post with a heartfelt message to Marco, expressing love and a deep sense of loss.

While the cause of Troper’s death remains undetermined, Esther Wojcicki shared with SF Gate that she suspects it might be linked to a drug overdose. To learn more about the circumstances surrounding his death, the family is waiting on the findings of a toxicology report. She emphasized the need for communities to take preventative action and to increase public knowledge of the risks associated with drugs to avoid tragedies of this nature.

Susan Wojcicki is an American businesswoman and has been the chief executive officer (CEO) of YouTube from 2014 to 2023.