SUMMARY
- Marco Troper, son of Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, has passed away.
- Marco was found unresponsive in his dorm room at the Clark Kerr Campus.
Death is inevitable, but the heart weeps when a young individual meets death at an early age. The world received the unfortunate news of the passing away of Marco Troper, a 19-year-old boy.
According to a report by PEOPLE, the Berkeley Fire Department notified campus police that they were dispensing life-saving measures on Troper after he was found unresponsive at UC Berkeley’s Clark Kerr Campus dormitory on Tuesday afternoon.
Who was Marco Troper?
Marco Troper was the 19-year-old son of Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube. Marco lived at the student housing complex of Clark Kerr Campus. He grew up in Los Altos and attended the Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto and then Menlo School in Atherton. The news of his death was shared by his grandmother, Esther Wojcicki, via a Facebook post.
She said that her grandson was “the most kind, loving, smart, fun and beautiful human being“. She further shared that Marco Troper was “just getting started” in the second semester of his undergraduate year at UC Berkeley. He was doing his major in math “and was truly loving it”.
“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
She also mentioned that her grandson was “thriving academically” and held a “strong community of friends“, which included friends from both his hostel as well as his fraternity. The grieving grandmother also added that Marco loved telling endless stories of his life and friends at Berkeley when at home.
His mother Susan Wojcicki also shared that her son was a kind, loving, smart, and beautiful person and was just starting his second semester at UC Berkeley.
His family said, “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 more than you will ever know.”
In February 2023, the YouTube CEO announced her resignation from YouTube via a blog post. She cited the reason as focusing on her family, health, and personal projects.
How did Marco Troper die?
Marco was reportedly found unresponsive at around 4:23 pm (local time) on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, as per a UC Berkeley spokesperson, Janet Gilmore. Marco’s grandmother, Esther Wojcicki, in a Facebook post, dated Wednesday, February 14, 2024, confirmed the freshman’s death and identity.
While Marco’s death was still being determined, Esther Wojcicki informed SF Gate News that he passed away from a drug overdose. She further claimed that the family was still awaiting the results of a toxicology report that was conducted on the deceased.
She reportedly said, “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.” She added that their family is devastated beyond comprehension.